OSAKA -- The number of tourists heading to the United States from Kansai International Airport has dropped dramatically in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks, according to industry officials.
With the growing possibility of U.S. retaliatory strikes in the near future, many flights are flying at less than 30 percent capacity.
On a Japan Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles on Wednesday, only 25 percent of the seats were filled, well below the 60 percent needed to make the flight break even, the carrier said.
That route is usually fully booked this time of year.
The decline in arriving passengers at Kansai airport is even more apparent.
On an All Nippon Airways flight arriving Wednesday from Honolulu, only 5 percent of seats were occupied, showing a marked drop in Japanese heading to Hawaii.
Overseas trips to the tune of 4 billion yen through the end of September have been canceled nationwide, said Japan's largest travel agency, JTB Corp.
The figure exceeds the number of trips canceled during the 1991 Gulf War, which totaled about 3 billion yen.
"The tourist industry is profitable in times of peace. We are worried that passenger numbers will continue to decline due to the possibility of U.S. retaliatory attacks," a JTB representative said.
One-engine landing
KAGOSHIMA (Kyodo) An All Nippon Airways plane landed at Kagoshima airport Thursday on only one engine after the other overheated and was shut down, airport officials said.
None of the 145 passengers and crew members on ANA Flight 351, which departed Nagoya airport for Kagoshima Prefecture, was hurt when the Airbus A-320 twinjet landed around 8:55 a.m., the officials said.
The pilot shut down the starboard engine after its temperature rose a few minutes before landing, they said.
The carrier is now checking the plane, ANA officials said.