Japanese budget carrier Peach Aviation Ltd. said Thursday it will cancel a total of 448 flights in May and June, including 44 international services connecting Osaka with Seoul and Hong Kong, due to a lack of pilots.

The cancellations will affect around 16,000 passengers, it said.

Between May 19 and Oct. 25, the cancellations could reach as high as 2,088, affecting around 16 percent of its flights and 26,000 passengers, which would slash revenue by about ¥3 billion, according to Peach, an affiliate of All Nippon Airways Co.

Chief Executive Officer Shinichi Inoue apologized at a news conference in Tokyo, saying eight of its 52 pilots had been absent for long periods due to health reasons and the company could not promote co-pilots or recruit new crew as planned.