Two large earthquakes struck Japan and Ecuador in the past week, with a longer term impact on International Flight Ops.
Japan
At 0124LT Saturday a 7.3 quake hit Japan, centred on Kyushu, the large island at the southern end of the country.
Airports: RJFT/Kumamoto is closed UFN to all traffic. RJFF/Fukuoka operating normally, RJFU/Nagasaki operating normally. In addition, in Kyushu: – Many roads, bridges damaged, Railways out of service, Region should be avoided.
Ecuador
On the same day, a 7.4 earthquake centred towards the north-west of Ecuador.
SEMT/Manta, a regular tech stop for traffic between the US and South America, is closed to normal operations after the Terminal and Control Tower suffered significant damage.
Collapsed Control Tower at Manta
More on the topic:
- More: SAFA Ramp Checks: The Findings Nobody Briefs You On
- More: Maps of Misery: Europe Summer Parking Guide 2026
- More: Middle East Airspace – Current Operational Picture
- More: The LPV Issue: Why Europe Has Been Affected While the US Hasn’t
- More: 2026 Updated FAA Oceanic Guides
More reading:
- Latest: SAFA Ramp Checks: The Findings Nobody Briefs You On
- Latest: Maps of Misery: Europe Summer Parking Guide 2026
- Latest: Middle East Airspace – Current Operational Picture
- Safe Airspace: Risk Database
- Weekly Ops Bulletin: Subscribe
- Membership plans: Why join OPSGROUP?
Get the famous weekly 
