Three flights rescue Britons stranded in Japan
The UK government has organised three rescue flights for Britons stranded in Tokyo following the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan a week ago.
The first flight will leave Tokyo’s Narita Airport at 20:55 (local time) today, bound for Hong Kong. Two additional flights will take British nationals from Narita to Hong Kong tomorrow, leaving at 07:00 and 21:00.
For those British nationals and their immediate families directly affected by the tsunami will be given free seats on the flights and staff will be available at Hong Kong to assist with forward bookings and accommodation.
The Foreign Office said Britons who have not been directly affected by the tsunami but who want to make use of this option to leave Japan will be charged £600 per adult and £300 per child (under the age of 16). Infants will be carried free of charge.
To register for the flights, passengers should call +44 20 7008 6900. The Foreign Office said it did not plan to offer further flights after Sunday March 20, although commercial flights are still operating.
The British Embassy has organised coaches to collect Britons from Sendai, the closest city to the centre of the earthquake. Four have already left and two more will leave from the ANA Holiday Inn, for Tokyo, tomorrow at 12:00. For seats, passengers should contact the British Embassy in Tokyo on (+81) 35 211 1356 if calling from the UK or 035 211 1356 if calling within Japan.
The Foreign Office is continuing to warn against all but essential travel to Tokyo and northeast Japan.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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