Japan's Nuclear Emergencies Freak Out Germany, Divert Lufthansa Flights
In Japan over the last few days, there's been a massive earthquake, tragic tsunamis and even a volcanic explosion, but the news gripping the world is that of their ongoing emergencies at several nuclear plants. Note the word "ongoing," as the other three big events happened and are done with.
It was reported very early this morning that Lufthansa isn't taking the nuclear crisis and release of radioactivity into the atmosphere sitting down (or rather, flying high as normal). The German airline has begun scanning their planes out of Japan for radioactivity, and though nothing above a normal level has been found, Lufthansa is taking precautions by removing the Airbus A380 from Tokyo routes and putting most Lufthansa flight crew up in South Korea rather than Japan.
In addition, the two daily Tokyo-bound Lufthansa flights from Germany will be diverted to other Japanese airports through this upcoming Sunday. Specifically, Lufthansa Flight 714 from Munich will head to Nagoya and Lufthansa Flight 710 from Frankfurt will land at Osaka-Kansai.
Lufthansa currently claims that the reason for the flight diversions is not nuclear-related, but due to the situation and delays at Tokyo's airports. It remains to be seen if passengers arriving on these flights will eve be able to make it up to Tokyo via train in a timely fashion, citing the transportation disruptions all over the place.
Germany as a whole is taking steps to protect itself as well, decreeing that all seven of its nuclear reactors built before 1980 are to be shut down for a three-month moratorium, at the end of which they may not be restarted. Having personally grown up within spitting distance of two—count em, two—nuclear "generating stations" that've experienced multiple emergencies each, let us say that this move by Germany is a very smart one indeed.
[Photo: Jaunted]
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