A hole of the runway surface was discovered at Haneda Airport, causing significant disruptions to flight schedules. An investigation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism revealed that the cause appears.
It was discovered that the surface of Runway C, one of the four runways, had peeled off by about 20 centimeters in length and width and 5 centimeters in depth, by airport staff who were conducting routine inspection work on the 13th July.
After the discovery of the damage, Runway C was closed for more than two and a half hours for the repair work, which again caused disruptions to flight schedules.
Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted a detailed inspection of the road surface at the site and found multiple cracks in the surrounding area.
Worth mentioning here, Runway D had experienced an issue where rubber filler deteriorated, causing an underlying metal joint plate to bend and protrude by 8 cm in May 2026. This caused high-energy Foreign Object Debris (FOD) that led to tire blowouts on multiple departing aircraft (including Skymark Airlines and Japan Airlines).
While these structural issues occasionally cause temporary runway closures or aircraft tire blowouts, they are typically addressed through routine maintenance or emergency repairs by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has determined that the probable cause of the peeling was likely the expansion of moisture that entered through cracks in the road surface due to the heat near the runway, which weakened the pavement.
According to NHK NEWS, Haneda Airport has been experiencing hot weather since the 8th, with daytime high temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius.
MLIT has now announced that it will close Runway C again from the night of the 14th to the early morning of the 15th to carry out full-scale restoration work, and will also strengthen runway inspections in the future.
Display and content picture Courtesy: NHK NEWS
