Spring Airlines Co. and Japan Airlines Co. are anticipating a post-pandemic tourism boom between China and Japan for their joint-owned budget carrier, even though Japan still lags behind major economies in reopening its borders.
Spring Airlines Japan Co. had operated seven routes from Narita to Shanghai, Tianjin, Nanjing, Wuhan and other cities, but five of them were suspended due to the virus. Even so, the carrier is eyeing new routes to Chinese coastal cities with populations of more than 10 million people, potentially by March 2024, Akira Yonezawa, Spring Japan’s new chief executive officer and former JAL executive, said in an interview.
Even amid tight restrictions, Japan is becoming the top destination among Chinese for post-virus travels, with 18% saying they want to visit, according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association. Some 90% of Spring Airlines Japan’s international passengers are nationals from China.