TOKYO: ANA Holdings Inc. and Japan Airlines said Tuesday they will bring back their schedules for domestic flights for fiscal 2022 to the pre-novel coronavirus pandemic levels.

Forecasting that domestic flight demand will recover in April-September, ANA Holdings’ All Nippon Airways will increase flights between Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, and New Chitose Airport in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and between Chubu Centrair and Sendai Airport in the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi.

The airline, on the other hand, will cut flights between Osaka International Airport, also called Itami Airport, in the western prefecture of Osaka and Naha Airport in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa due to a demand drop

ANA will focus on business people, while Peach Aviation, the group’s budget carrier, will aim to lure tourists by boosting flight services between Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and New Chitose and between Chubu Centrair and Naha.

JAL expects domestic flight demand to recover close to the pre-pandemic level by the end of March.

It will increase flights on the route connecting Itami and Kagoshima Airport in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima and on the Itami-Naha route. Meanwhile, it will reduce flights within Hokkaido and Kagoshima.

JIJI Press