A Boeing 737 passenger jet flying from Shanghai, China to Tokyo, Japan, was suspected of cabin depressurization on the evening of the 30th and made an emergency diversion to Osaka's Kansai Airport.
According to Japanese media Kyodo News, a Boeing 737 flight from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Tokyo Narita Airport issued an "air pressurization system" abnormality warning during its Monday night flight, indicating possible cabin depressurization. The pilot reported an emergency to air traffic control and diverted to land at Kansai Airport.
Citing information from the Osaka Aviation Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the report stated that the aircraft landed at Kansai Airport at around 8:50 pm local time on Monday. There were 191 people on board, including passengers and crew, and none were injured or reported feeling unwell.
The involved flight was JL8696/IJ004, a codeshare between Japan Airlines and its low-cost carrier subsidiary "Spring Airlines Japan."
According to Xiaoxiang Morning Post, the flight departed normally from Shanghai Pudong Airport at 5:49 pm Shanghai time on Monday and was originally scheduled to arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport at 9:47 pm local time. However, radar data showed that at around 6:53 pm, the flight, which had been at an altitude of over 11,000 meters, suddenly descended rapidly to an altitude of just over 3,200 meters within 10 minutes.
Additionally, according to The Paper, multiple netizens posted after the incident claiming they were on Spring Airlines Japan flight IJ004 from Shanghai Pudong to Tokyo Narita, saying the plane "rapidly dropped from 10,000 meters to 3,000 meters," and that they felt "weightlessness" and "exploding ear pressure." Videos circulating online also show oxygen masks dropping down on passenger seats.
On Weibo that night, China Spring Airlines published a post stating: "Some self-media reported that a Spring Airlines plane malfunctioned and plunged rapidly by 3,000 meters. Upon checking, this information is untrue. Spring Airlines' flight codes start with 9C, and all flights are operating normally."