Cathay Pacific And HK Express Cut Flights To Japan

Hong Kong’s airlines have been forced to reduce their flight schedules to Japan for the month of February 2023 as a result of travel limitations imposed by the Japanese government. The restrictions limit the number of flights arriving in Japan from Hong Kong, China, and Macau, following a surge in COVID cases in recent weeks.

Under the restrictions, Cathay Pacific is permitted to operate 72 flights per week to Japan, 13 fewer than normal. Despite the cancelations, the flag carrier will still operate a busy schedule to Japan, with up to 6 flights per day on the popular Hong Kong – Tokyo route (both Narita and Haneda airports combined). HK Express will now operate 74 flights per week to Japan, down from the 89 flights per week originally planned by the low-cost carrier for the month of February.

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The affected flights

The following Cathay Pacific flights to Japan have been canceled in February:

HK Express has also canceled the following flights:

As several of the above flights operate overnight to Japan, dates for the affected return sectors to Hong Kong may vary – full details can be found on the carriers’ websites. Both airlines are in the process of contacting affected customers.

Photo: Heychli | Shutterstock

Ongoing recovery from the pandemic

The restrictions imposed by Japan are yet another bump in the long road to recovery for Hong Kong’s airlines. They are currently in place until March 2nd, although Hong Kong’s secretary for transport and logistics, Lam Sai-hung, is hopeful that they will then be removed. If they are relaxed, it would provide a further boost both to Hong Kong’s airlines and to Japan’s tourism industry, as spring is traditionally a popular time for visitors to Japan.

However, despite this setback affecting its routes to Japan, Cathay Pacific’s recovery continues, with the airline recently reaching 40% of pre-pandemic passenger traffic. Boosted by the reopening of its key market, China, the carrier hopes to increase that figure to 70% by the end of this year, before returning to full pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. To aid its recovery, Cathay Pacific is planning to recruit over 3,000 additional employees this year.

Photo: Terry K | Shutterstock

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