Japan’s two biggest air carriers are once again accepting reservations for flights to the country after the government reversed a policy aimed at keeping the Omicron coronavirus variant at bay.
All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines had stopped taking new reservations for all arrivals since Wednesday, on request of the government. The measure was to run through the rest of the year.
The transport ministry retracted the request on Thursday to allow overseas Japanese citizens to return. The two carriers started accepting bookings again on Saturday.
Other travel restrictions remain in place, including a ban on new foreign entries through the rest of the year. Current foreign residents are allowed back in, except anyone returning from 10 southern African countries.
The situation regarding the Omicron variant remains fluid, and the government may review the restrictions in line with any developments.
The government has also capped the number of arrivals at about 3,500 per day.
Source: NHK