An air traffic controller at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport faces possible punishment after posting confidential information on his blog, including the flight plan for President Barack Obama’s visit to Japan last year, news reports said Saturday. Continue reading after the jump.
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The controller, identified only as a man in his 50s, uploaded a dozen photos he took of flight plans and radar screens onto his personal blog, according to public broadcaster NHK. A post about Air Force One included its route as well as takeoff and landing details which are normally kept secret for security reasons.
Obama traveled to Japan in November to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Yokohama.
The controller also posted the flight plan for an unmanned American reconnaissance aircraft that was dispatched to gather radiation data from the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Kyodo News agency said. All the images have since been deleted.
The transport ministry is investigating and considering disciplinary action, Kyodo and NHK said. Calls to the ministry were not answered Saturday.
Kyodo said Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who took office eight days ago, will explain the findings of the investigation to Obama when he travels to Washington later this month.
Noda has said he wants to strengthen ties between the countries and has expressed strong support for the U.S.-Japan security alliance.
