Narita Airport’s Runway Riddle: A 787’s Unplanned Taxi Adventure
Picture this: it’s a crisp morning at Japan’s bustling Narita Airport, and a sleek Boeing 787 from Air Canada is supposed to glide seamlessly onto the runway after a long haul from Montreal. Instead, the aircraft takes a detour onto the wrong taxiway—right in the middle of construction… and chaos ensues.
What Went Wrong?
- The plane, carrying about 210 passengers and crew, found itself stranded for hours on a partially paved taxiway that was under construction.
- Authorities didn’t report any injuries, which is a good sign—just the fact that the jet didn’t get crushed or the crew didn’t lose their hats.
- It wasn’t until roughly 5 hours later that the tug crew finally pulled the 787 out of its unplanned parking spot.
The Ripple Effect
When a major airport like Narita, which handles 40 million passengers a year, loses one of its two runways, the dominoes start falling:
- Six flights were called off sweet and sour—cancelled, not just delayed.
- Other planes were redirected to neighboring airports, turning an otherwise smooth sky day into a log of logistical headaches.
Some Numbers to Keep You in the Loop
Out of the 250,000 plus flights that take off and land every year, this one slip-up had the whole airport playing a quick game of “Where did this plane go?”—and the answer is: somewhere on a construction site.
Final Thoughts
While airport runway maintenance is essential for safety, it seems sometimes the timing can be… a little off. Air Canada’s 787, a monumental machine, was basically caught in a “gigante” odyssey. Thankfully, everyone was shrugged off, the plane was eventually moved, and the airport story added another quirky chapter to its 2018‑Tim Blog. So next time you’re stuck in a taxi, remember: you might just become the highlight of a runway mishap!
