Japan Airlines Co. canceled 32 domestic flights Wednesday due to a glitch in its automated check-in system, affecting about 2,500 passengers.
Additionally, delays of up to about 2½ hours hit other domestic JAL flights. The system was restored by 10 a.m. and JAL is now investigating the cause of the problem, which it says likely resulted from a network fault.
The carrier says problems started around 6:50 a.m., forcing customers to complete the boarding process over the counter. Luggage check-in services were unaffected by the system failure.
The canceled flights include those linking Tokyo with Fukuoka and Osaka with Sendai.
In the morning, the lobby of Itami airport, which straddles Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, was packed with bewildered travelers who formed long lines in front of JAL's service counters.
"I am totally clueless about what's going on," said a 49-year-old male company worker from Kobe, who was scheduled to make a day trip to Tokyo and concerned about whether he would make it to a business meeting there. "I want JAL to properly respond to the system failure," he added.
A woman in her 50s living in the city of Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, and heading to Tokyo to take care of her mother was at a loss after her return flight scheduled for later in the day was canceled. "I have no idea what to do," she said.