Japan Airlines Slashes Hawaii Flights
UPDATED 3/28/11 6:32 p.m.
More fallout from the earthquake and nuclear crisis in Japan. Hawaii tourism officials expect the disasters to cost the state $200 million in lost tourism.
Now comes word that Japan Airlines has cut flights to Hawaii, China and South Korea after the crisis caused a 25 percent drop in its international passenger load.
Trips to Honolulu have been slashed from 21 trips per week to 14. The airline will also suspend flights between Hong Kong and Tokyo’s Narita airport1 and cut its Beijing flights in half to just seven a week. The reductions will begin April 6 and last until about April 27.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority responded to the news, saying in a statement:
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) understands the difficult decision Japan Airlines (JAL) has made to temporarily reduce flights from Narita to Honolulu in April 2011. We remain committed to working with JAL on efforts to drive demand and reinstate air seats to Hawaii when appropriate. …
We will continue to actively monitor the situation and assess the impact the short-term consolidation of flights will have on Hawaii. While it is important to Hawaii鈥檚 visitor industry that the airlines providing service to our state remain healthy and viable, right now, our main concern is for the Japanese people and helping them recover from this tragedy.
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An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Japan Airlines had halted all flights to Hong Kong. The airline is still flying to Hong Kong from Tokyo’s Haneda airport.
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