Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong International) is pausing flights to Fukuoka and Nagoya Chubu and reducing services to other Japanese cities as it responds to new Covid-19-related travel restrictions imposed by Japanese authorities.

As China readies to reopen its borders and with a surge in Covid-19 infections there, multiple jurisdictions, including Japan, have begun to reimpose restrictions on travellers and airlines coming from the region. Earlier this week, Japan said it would only allow flights from Hong Kong and Macau to land at four airports. This has since increased to seven airports. Travellers flying in from the Chinese mainland, whether directly or via transit ports, will be required to take Covid-19 tests on arrival in Japan from December 30 and airlines flying to and from China have been to not to increase their flights into Japan.

"As airlines are not allowed to increase flights beyond the number that they operated in the week of December 23-29, Cathay Pacific will only be able to operate 65 flights per week in total to (its Japanese) destinations. That represents a 20% reduction to our planned Japan schedule in January 2023," reads a Cathay Pacific statement.

From December 30 until further notice, Cathay Pacific will pause all flights from Hong Kong to Nagoya and Fukuoka and reduce flights to Sapporo Chitose from seven times a week to five. Certain flights on unspecified dates on CX500 services to Tokyo Narita and CX502 services to Osaka Kansai will also be cancelled.

Out of Japan, the airline will operate its current timetabled services through to January 8 with some additional one-way flights to repatriate passengers back to Hong Kong. From January 9, flights from Nagoya will pause, flight frequencies from Sapporo will reduce, and certain flights from Fukuoka, Tokyo Narita, and Osaka will get cancelled on as-yet-unspecified dates.

Low-cost subsidiary HK Express (UO, Hong Kong International) says it will cancel over 40 flights to Japan across January but will still be able to operate around 60 flights a week to the country. Reuters reports that Hong Kong Airlines (HX, Hong Kong International) will also suspend some flights to Japan.

According to the Hong Kong government, around 250 flights operated by Hong Kong-based airlines across January will be cancelled, adversely impacting approximately 60,000 passengers. Cathay Pacific says it is contacting affected passengers individually, offering re-routings, alternative dates, or refunds.