An airline was pressured to show away a gaggle of sumo wrestlers from two flights following considerations they’d push the planes over their weight restrict.
Japan Airways (JAL) as a substitute laid on an additional flight for the boys after calculating that they weighed round 120kg every – far above its normal passenger common of 70kg per grownup.
The group have been making an attempt to journey on two Boeing 737-800s to a contest on the island of Amami Oshima within the south of Japan, native media reported.
One of many flights was because of depart from Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Thursday, whereas the opposite was set to take off from Itami Airport in Osaka the identical day.
Airline officers determined the island’s airport was too small to accommodate a bigger plane, so a particular further flight for the sumo wrestlers was laid on from Tokyo as a substitute.
Learn extra from Sky Information:
Israel-Gaza latest: Thousands at risk as hospital power running out
Poland’s opposition leader declares election victory
It took off with 27 passengers on board, together with 14 who first needed to be transferred on one other flight from Osaka to the Japanese capital.
A JAL spokesperson advised the Minami-Nippon Shimbun newspaper it was “extraordinarily uncommon for us to function particular flights” because of weight restrictions.
Round 460 sumo wrestlers have been due to participate within the island’s competitors, which started on Friday, the Yomiuri Shimbun mentioned.
The newspaper added one other particular flight had been organized for the return journey.