The Japanese airline is forced to make an extra flight after a group of sumo wrestlers were booked on the same plane, making it too heavy to take off.
- Elite wrestlers were heading to Japan’s main sports festival last week.
A Japanese airline was forced to book an extra flight for a group of sumo wrestlers after their plane was too heavy to take off.
The elite wrestlers were scheduled to fly from Tokyo to Osaka to take part in Japan’s top sporting tournament last week.
But with an average weight of 120 kg (264 pounds), officials soon realized they would have to bring in additional planes to transport the athletes, Japan News reported.
“It is extremely unusual for us to operate special flights due to the weight restrictions of this aircraft,” an airline representative said. said a local media outlet.
Japan Airlines said most passengers weigh around 70 kg (154 pounds).
The illustrative image shows Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, a sumo wrestler, at a tournament at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan, in November 1983.
“It is extremely unusual for us to operate special flights due to the weight restrictions of this aircraft,” a Japan Airlines (JAL) representative told a local media outlet.
Flights 2465 from Itami and 659 from Haneda were considered “potentially overweight” after the Sumos prepared to board on September 12, according to 373 News.
The airline then added flight 4677 from Haneda, taking 14 from the first Haneda flight.
When the Japan National Sports Festival tournament ended on September 15, the airline prepared another special flight for the second leg, ensuring that no one would stay in Amami City.
Reports They say the airline will also ensure that the scheduled flight from Fukuoka to Haneda is upgraded to a “bigger plane.”
Some 460 athletes traveled to Anami to attend the festival, Japan’s main sporting event of the year.
The festival features stages for ice hockey and skiing in January and February before coming together for the main events in September and October.
Sumo wrestling is a traditional Japanese combat sport in which two huge wrestlers, or rikishi, attempt to force each other out of a circular ring or make any part of their opponent’s body, except the soles of their feet, touch the ground. .
Its origins date back more than a thousand years, with roots in Shinto rituals and military training.
Sumo has evolved from a religious ceremony to a professional sport with strict traditions and customs.
The sport consists of various rituals, a strict hierarchy and a focus on physical strength, balance and technique.
Today, it remains a popular and highly regarded sport in Japan, with a rich history and cultural significance.
