The Spring Japan flight departing from Shanghai had to make an emergency landing in Osaka on Monday, June 30 (local time) after the passenger compartment low pressure warning system was activated, according to Asia One.
Images and videos shared on Chinese social network Xiaohongshu show air masks falling in the passenger compartment of the joint flight JL8696/IJ004, on the journey from Shanghai to Tokyo.
The plane emergencyly lowered its altitude from 11,000 meters to about 3,200 meters in just 10 minutes. The pilot then changed course and made an emergency landing at Kansai Airport, Osaka.
A user on board said he heard a "squeak" for a few seconds before the mask fell. Immediately afterwards, a flight attendant asked everyone to wear an air mask.
Another passenger said they were told to put up a seat belt and were told by the captain that the plane would make an emergency landing.
Kyodo News Agency (Japan) reported that the plane landed safely at Kansai airport at around 8:50 p.m. the same day (local time).
According to information from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan and relevant Japanese agencies, the plane issued a warning of "cassation system failure".
There were 191 passengers and crew members on the flight, with no injuries or health problems recorded.
Japan Airlines confirmed to the Global Times on Tuesday that the crashed plane was owned by Spring Airlines Japan. The company is investigating the specific cause of the incident.
The airline has supported 15,000 yen (about $93) in travel expenses and provided one night's accommodation to passengers, according to a passenger.
Although it has the brand name "Spring Airlines", the flight is not operated by China's Spring Airlines (code 9C), but is under the management of Spring Airlines Japan (code IJ) in Japan.
The two companies are linked in terms of capital but operate under separate legal frameworks and regulations.
Spring Japan, formerly Spring Airlines Japan, was founded in 2012. The airline operates as a low-cost airline, co-owned by Spring Airlines China and Japan Airlines (JAL).
After the incident, Spring Airlines China quickly confirmed that its flights with the 9C code were still operating normally.
However, many passengers and the public are still confused between Spring Airlines and Spring Japan.
Flight IJ004 that encountered a problem on its route from Shanghai (Eastern gate airport) to Tokyo ( Narita airport) is one of the busiest international flights between China and Japan. Data shows that in 2024, this route alone will have more than 20 round trips per day.
The crashed plane, the Boeing 737-8AL (a custom variation of the 737-800), with an average age of 7.2 years, has made 28 flights in the last 30 days.
Since the Boeing 737 Max suspension scandal, passenger confidence in the safety of Boeing aircraft has been significantly affected.
The 737-800 series is still the most deployed model in the Boeing 737 family, with more than 5,000 units operating globally, mostly at low-cost airlines.
In recent years, the 737 series has been regularly noticed due to safety concerns. Airlines such as United Airlines and Jetstar Australia have recorded a problem of losing air pressure, forcing them to urgently lower their altitude.
