British Airways is the latest airline to announce changes for Tokyo-bound flights. The carrier said today that all flights heading to Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports will make stop-overs in Hong Kong due to the uncertain and escalating nuclear situation in Japan.

The stop-overs will allow British Airways to refuel in Hong Kong as a precaution against possible fuel shortages at Japanese airports. It will also prevent cabin crew from spending significant amounts of time in Tokyo, where fears over elevated radiation levels persist.

Lufthansa was one of the first airlines to announce contingency plans in the wake of last week’s earthquake and tsunami. The carrier began diverting flights away from Tokyo and halted crew layovers there earlier this week.

Other major airlines soon followed suit. Austrian Airlines flights are now making stopovers in Seoul on the way to Tokyo. Singapore Airlines and Qantas Airways have also announced similar moves.

Source: Wall Street Journal