Naha Airport Runway Closed after ASDF Jet Gets Stranded

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)--A runway at Naha Airport in Japan's southernmost Okinawa Prefecture was briefly closed Tuesday after a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jet was stranded on the runway after landing.

According to the transport ministry's Naha Airport office, the F-15 fighter from the ASDF's Naha Air Base was tilted when it came to a halt after landing at around 1 p.m., and the aircraft is believed to have developed a problem.

This prompted the second runway at the airport in the prefectural capital to close for about four hours.

The fighter was removed by a vehicle at around 4 p.m., and the runway reopened at around 5 p.m. after its safety was confirmed. Although another runway remained operational, 12 passenger flight departures were delayed by up to nine minutes and 28 arrivals by up to 35 minutes.

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[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]