A Japan Airlines (JAL) flight traveling from Shanghai to Narita was compelled to conduct an emergency landing at Kansai International Airport late Monday evening following suspected pressurization system problems during the flight.
According to a JAL statement released Tuesday, Flight JL8696/IJ004—a codeshare service operated jointly by JAL and its budget affiliate Spring Japan—initiated a steep descent after the cockpit crew received abnormal readings from the cabin pressure system. As a precaution, the aircraft landed safely at Kansai Airport at 8:48 p.m. No injuries or health concerns were reported among the passengers or crew.
The incident is currently under investigation to identify the root cause of the malfunction.
Japanese news outlet Essential Japan, referencing data from the Osaka Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, was the first to report the emergency landing. JAL later verified that the plane was operated by Spring Japan, in which JAL holds a majority stake. Spring Airlines (operating under the code 9C) owns 33% of Spring Japan but does not participate in its management or daily operations, as confirmed by the company to the Global Times.
In the aftermath of the incident, Spring Japan canceled multiple flights to accommodate operational adjustments. Affected routes included round-trip services between Tokyo and Shanghai for Tuesday and Wednesday. Passengers were given the option to rebook for free within 30 days or request a full refund for the same route during that period.
One passenger, identified by the username Cyue, described the experience: the plane dropped approximately 7,000 meters around 6:40 p.m., followed by oxygen mask deployment and an emergency descent announcement roughly 10 minutes later. JAL later compensated affected travelers with 15,000 yen (about $93) for transportation and provided one night of hotel lodging.
