TOKYO: Tokyo's Narita airport has partially resumed flights after closing following a huge 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan Friday and triggered a devastating tsunami. Officials from the airport said some departing flights were now taking off from the airport, but that it was not accepting arrivals following the worst quake in Japanese history. At Tokyo's Haneda airport, some flights were departing and arriving but a number had been cancelled. Around 10,000 people were stranded at Narita, several thousands at Haneda, and 1,100 at Sendai airport which saw its runways submerged by sweeping black floodwaters when a 10-metre (30-foot) wave struck the coast. Japan Airlines said the airports of Sendai, Narita, Iwate Hanamaki, Yamagata and Aomori were shut. Japan's All Nippon Airways Co said 131 domestic and international flights were cancelled, grounding 32,700 passengers, Dow Jones Newswires reported. Transport ministry officials said the shutdowns were temporary steps except at Sendai, where runways will remain closed, Jiji press reported. Officials of JAL and All Nippon Airways said all aircraft flying near or over Japan at the time of the jolt were confirmed safe, said Jiji. All Tokyo area trains were halted in the immediate aftermath of the quake, but some services were resuming, officials said. The Shinkansen bullet train service in the quake-torn areas has been suspended. – Agence France
