Chinese airline cancels 1 yen flights
News On Japan via NHKReloaded -- Oct 20
A Chinese budget carrier has abruptly withdrawn its offer of one-yen tickets for flights from Japan to China.
Spring Airlines cancelled the deal on Thursday. It had begun selling the tickets for one yen, or about 1.3 cents, on Monday for up to 50 seats on flights from Saga, in western Japan, to Shanghai. The airline offered tickets from Shanghai for free.
The 2-month offer did not cover airport taxes or other surcharges.
The carrier announced the bargain after its occupancy rate for Shanghai-to-Saga flights fell nearly 20 percent in September from the month before. This came as a dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea damaged Japan-China ties. Spring also cancelled single-yen tickets for flights between Takamatsu, in western Japan, and Shanghai. The tickets had gone on sale the same day.
Staff members at the carrier's Tokyo branch said the airline's head office in Shanghai decided on the cancellations and gave no reason.
Observers say critical messages posted on Chinese websites were apparently behind the decision.
中国の格安航空が1円キャンペーンの中止を発表しました。「売国奴」などの批判が相次いだためとしています。
Source: NHKReloaded, ANNnewsCH
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