2 Hong Kong carriers axe 282 flights between city and Japan due to ongoing travel curbs, but ‘minimal disruption’ predicted starting in April
- Cancellation of flights, covering service up to March 30, adds to 176 scrapped earlier by Cathay Pacific and HK Express between February 3 and March 2
- Carriers say it is regrettable Japanese authorities continue to impose travel limits
Two Hong Kong carriers will axe more than 280 flights between the city and Japan next month due to continued restrictions imposed by the country, but one of the airlines predicts the situation will stabilise from April.
The cancellation of 282 flights, covering service up to March 30, adds to 176 scrapped earlier by Cathay Pacific and HK Express between February 3 and March 2.
Both airlines on Monday said it was regrettable Japanese authorities continued to impose limits on the number of flights arriving from the city. Currently HK Express is limited to 74 flights per week and Cathay to 72.
The affected services included those to and from Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka-Kansai and Tokyo’s two main international airports.
Japan imposed restrictions on the number of flights originating from the city in December last year, while it scrapped a policy limiting all arrivals from Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau to certain airports only 10 days after its introduction.
Beijing suspended the issuance of visas for Japanese visitors on January 10 in retaliation for Chinese nationals being required to present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before departure and on arrival.
But the measure was scrapped last month after the Japanese embassy in Beijing resumed its visa services in China.
The consulate-general of Japan in Hong Kong reiterated on Monday that both airlines, and some Japanese ones, have been asked not to raise the number of flights over a specified amount, considering the quarantine capacity in Japan.
“For the time being, while implementing current measures and monitoring the infection situation in China, we will respond flexibly,” it added.
In a reply to the Post, HK Express said it would cancel 170 flights to and from Hong Kong and Japan between March 3 to 30. According to a notice on its website, passengers are entitled to either a change of booking or a full refund.
Meanwhile Cathay will cancel 58 flights from Hong Kong to Japan and 54 going in the other direction over the same period.
The city’s flagship carrier said passengers booked to fly to Tokyo would be transferred to other flights it is operating that day to the capital, while those flying to Fukuoka would be moved to ones on days directly before or after the scheduled trip. Passengers travelling to Nagoya would be transferred to flights to Osaka on the same day.
“Flights to and from Sapporo and Osaka will operate as scheduled,” Cathay said, adding it also planned to resume five return flights per week to Nagoya from March 31.
On additional cancellations in the future, Cathay said it anticipated “minimal disruption” to its flights in April and May, as the total number of services it intended to operate was similar to the limits set by Japanese authorities.
A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said the government would continue to request Japanese authorities remove all restrictions targeting Hong Kong flights so as to minimise the impact on travellers.
