Japanese airline organized extra flight for sumo wrestlers due to risk of excess weight

Japanese airline Japan Airlines has arranged an extra flight from Tokyo to the island of Oshima because of the sumo wrestlers, which could give it an advantage, reports The Japan News.

According to the source, the group of wrestlers had reserved seats on two of the company’s flights between Tokyo and Osaka to Oshima, where the sumo festival takes place. Since each athlete weighs around 120 kilograms, the airline was concerned that both planes would not be able to carry the required amount of fuel due to weight restrictions. In turn, the Oshima Airport runway could not accommodate an aircraft larger than the planned Boeing 737-800, with a capacity of 165 passengers.

As a result, the airline added an additional flight from Tokyo to its schedule in order to spread out the number of passengers. The 14 people were invited to take a flight from Osaka to the Japanese capital, after which they and 13 other passengers were put on a special flight.

It is noteworthy that about 460 wrestlers came to the sumo festival.