Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Chinese airlines have canceled more than 900 flights to Japan in December, significantly impacting travel options and ticket prices, particularly at Kansai International Airport near Osaka, Japanese local media reported. These changes are among the recent sanctions related to comments by the Japanese Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae on Taiwan situation deemed by China as an interference in domestic affairs.

The Chinese sanctions also included warnings against travel to Japan and directives for airlines to reduce their flight schedules to the country.

Currently, there are 176 routes with regular service connecting China and Japan, linking 20 airports in Japan and 36 in China, excluding Hong Kong and Macao, Nikkei reported. As of Thursday morning, Chinese airlines had cut 904 flights—representing a 16% reduction—across 72 routes, which translates to approximately 156,000 fewer seats. This illustrates the extensive impact of the sanctions on travel connectivity.

Kansai Airport, one of the 13 airports affected, faced the greatest disruption, experiencing 626 flight cancellations. This reportedly included 80 flights from Nanjing, 71 from Shanghai, and 58 from Beijing, highlighting the challenges for travelers and operators at this hub.

Narita Airport near Tokyo and Chubu Airport in Nagoya each saw 68 cancellations, while New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido reported 61 cancellations, and Naha Airport in Okinawa had 26. In contrast, the impact on Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was relatively light, with only seven out of 989 scheduled arrivals canceled. The competition for routes at Haneda Airport minimized the disruption there.

Regarding the airlines, state-owned China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines have cut 118 and 109 flights, respectively. Midsize carriers based in Shanghai were hit harder, with Spring Airlines canceling 182 flights and Juneyao Airlines 166.

On a positive note, ticket prices have decreased significantly. Round-trip tickets between Kansai Airport and Shanghai have fallen from around 20,000 yen ($130) last year to approximately 8,500 yen this year, providing travelers with potential savings.