Society

13 regional airports in Japan to lose flights to mainland China

Feb 11 (Kyodo) - Regular flights between mainland China and at least 13 regional airports in Japan will be completely suspended due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus, airport operators said Monday.

The airports in Ibaraki, Nagasaki, Kagoshima and other prefectures will have no direct flights connecting them with Shanghai and other Chinese cities from Saturday at the latest.

"(Cancellations) are beginning to have a major impact on local tourism industries," transport minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said at a press conference.

The other regional airports affected include Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture, and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, the transport ministry and other sources said.

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