An object that appeared to be a drone spotted flying near Osaka's Kansai International Airport led to the temporary closure of the major hub on Saturday evening, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism said.
The airport's two runways were halted for about 40 minutes from around 8:45 p.m., affecting all arriving and departing flights.
Officials at the transport ministry and the operator of the airport said a flight crew that landed at the airport likely spotted the flying object.
The airport operator resumed operations of the runways at around 9:20 p.m. after it determined that the object had left the surrounding area and confirmed safety.
Flying drones near Kansai airport or bringing drones inside the airport are prohibited.