Fukushima Airport resumed international flight services Monday when a plane left for Shanghai, marking the first such flight since the prefecture was hit by March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant catastrophe.
Around 140 passengers, including Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato, boarded the chartered jet operated by China Eastern Airlines.
Before the triple disaster, China Eastern Airlines operated two flights between Fukushima and Shanghai per week, while South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines had three flights between Fukushima and Seoul. Both services halted after the disasters struck.
The 140 passengers Monday included 120 tourists and a 20-member team led by Sato to tout Fukushima as a tourist destination.