JAL - Japan Airlines (JL, Tokyo Haneda) will run charter flights from Fukushima to Seoul Incheon later this month after Jeju Air (7C, Jeju) withdrew due to safety concerns, reports Kyodo News. Inbound service is scheduled for March 18 with the outbound slated for March 20.

There has been no direct service from Fukushima to the Korean capital since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered major damage in 2011, leading to radiation leakages. An area 20 kilometres around the power plant is still a no-go zone. Jeju Air flight staff were concerned that flying into the airport still poses a health risk, and the flight was switched to Sendai 110 kilometres to the north east.

Other airlines which serve Fukushima airport – which is located approximately 60 kilometres to the south west of the power plant – are ANA - All Nippon Airways (NH, Tokyo Haneda), its ANA Wings (EH, Sapporo Chitose) unit, and Ibex Airlines (FW, Sendai) (operating as ANA Connection). Destinations served include Sapporo Chitose and Osaka Itami.