Japan tells Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express to halt flights to Sapporo, Fukuoka, Naha
- Japan will only allow direct flights from China, Hong Kong and Macau to depart from and land at four airports – Narita, Haneda, Kansai and Chubu
- It will also require all visitors from China to undergo Covid-19 tests upon arrival from Friday, amid reports the virus is ‘rapidly spreading’ there
The Japanese government on Tuesday asked three Hong Kong airlines to halt their flights to Sapporo, Fukuoka and Naha, as it seeks to limit arrivals amid an explosion of Covid-19 cases in China.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan would require all travellers from the mainland to take Covid-19 tests on arrival from Friday.
It would also only allow direct flights from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to land at four airports – Narita, Haneda, Kansai and Chubu – and had requested Japanese airlines not to increase such flights.
Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express Airways had been asked to suspend their flights to the three destinations from Friday.
Tickets to most Japanese destinations in January, however, appeared to be “sold out” on Cathay’s website after the announcements, while its subsidiary budget airline Hong Kong Express had also listed all ticket sales for Okinawa as “sold out” starting from December 30.