Japan-China flights cut 30% due to virus, with Osaka hit hard

Reductions by ANA and JAL jeopardize country's goal of 40m tourists in 2020

20200205N Osaka tower Tsutenkaku

The Tsutenkaku tower, an Osaka landmark, stands over the Shinsekai shopping and dining district. (Photo by Konosuke Urata)

KAZUHIRO OGAWA and MASASHI ISAWA, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- Flights between China and Japan already are down by nearly one-third this month as airlines cut service in response to the coronavirus outbreak, with Osaka and Nagoya hardest hit by the drop in travel.

Scheduled round-trip flights between the two countries have fallen to 1,114 a week, down more than 30% from initial plans for 1,623, according to Japan's transport ministry. The figure is on the verge of slipping below 1,000 for the first time since 2015.

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