An 8.9 earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami in Japan this morning (March 11), which has crippled the country, destroyed entire cities, and brought transit to a standstill.
As of this morning, only a single gate at Narita International Airport in Tokyo remained operational. "Some departing flights are in service. All arriving flights will be redirected to other airports. For more details, please directly contact airlines," said a notice on the airport website.
Major U.S. and Canadian air carriers have cancelled flights, including Air Canada, United, and Continental, reports Reuters. American Airlines and Delta have confirmed they will waive rebooking fees for tickets during this time.
"Narita airport’s runway is not damaged. The problem is the railway lines aren’t functioning so our employees and the passengers can’t get to the airport," explained Jeff Smisek, CEO of United Continental Holdings.
More than 60,000 travelers are thought to be effected by the cancellations, with 14,000 people left stranded at the Tokyo airport, a backlog which carriers are now scrambling to clear, reports Bloomberg.