The inaugural All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight to Hawaii following a loosening of restrictions on travelers from Japan departed from Haneda Airport on Friday evening.
The U.S. state has been gradually relaxing its 14-day quarantine requirement for visitors and as of Friday, visitors from Japan who have certifiably tested negative for the novel coronavirus though a medical institution have been allowed an exemption from the state's mandatory quarantine. For this reason, airlines are hoping to make a recovery in the number of passengers on the highly profitable route.
Check-in procedures for the first flight to Honolulu after the state's measure began at Haneda Airport just after 8 p.m. on Friday. There were 64 passengers on board, according to the airline. A 28-year-old temp worker who was one of the passengers said, "I'm going to Hawaii to see my fiance. I'm grateful that I won't have to spend time any of my time in quarantine because I can only stay there for about a month."
ANA once had seven round-trip flights on the Haneda-Honolulu route a week, but now there are only two round-trips a month -- the same number offered by Japan Airlines.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
