Japan Quake Causes Airport Closures

The devastating earthquake that rocked northern Japan on Friday afternoon local time is obviously having a serious effect on business travel to and from airports in the world's third-largest economic power.

Most U.S. and Japanese carriers flying into Tokyo, Japan's primary gateway to the world, canceled transpacific operations on Friday. Sendai Airport, closest to the epicenter of the quake, was heavily damaged and remains closed. Kansai Airport near Kyoto, however, has been operating normally. (For video of what happened at Sendai, watch the video above.)

Although Tokyo's airports, Narita and Haneda, were largely undamaged by the quake, flight operations over the weekend and early next week are unclear. Delta Air Lines, which operates a large hub at Narita, has issued a reaccommodation plan for travelers scheduled to fly to Japan through Tuesday. If you're booked, you can change your plans without penalty. American Airlines, which flies to both Narita and Haneda, is also permitting travelers to change plans without fees, although its waiver currently extends only through Monday. Like Delta, United and Continental airlines, now part of United Continental Holdings, are offering flight waivers through Tuesday.

Japan isn't a major tourist destination for American travelers, so the earthquake's impact on tourism from the United States might not be great. In the weeks ahead, however, business travelers to Japan might actually increase. That's because companies with business in Japan might send additional employees to help in reconstruction and repair. Firms in the construction, insurance, and banking businesses might also head to Japan in greater numbers as the Japanese economy begins what will be a long, expensive rebuilding process.

If you're looking to track the state of flights into and out of Japan in coming days, consult the daily operations page of FlightAware.com or the flight-status pages of FlightStats.com.

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