HOUSTON – Princess Kako, niece of Emperor Naruhito, will arrive a day late at the Peruvian capital Lima for an official visit after the commercial flight she was on had to return to the U.S. city of Houston on Wednesday due to a malfunctioning weather radar, Imperial Household Agency sources said.
The delay is expected to affect her plans in the Peruvian city, which include attending a ceremony Thursday to mark the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Peru, the sources said. She is now slated to arrive at around midnight on Thursday.
The United Airlines aircraft departed from Houston at around 5:20 p.m. Wednesday but returned to the city around 7:30 p.m. after informing passengers of the technical issue.
A separate aircraft that had been readied in its stead was also unable to take off.
The princess, who is the younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, will spend a night at a hotel near the airport in the U.S. city before flying out early evening on Thursday.
She initially departed from Tokyo’s Haneda airport Wednesday morning Japan time and was scheduled to transit in Houston before reaching Lima by Wednesday evening.
Source : Japan Today
