Anyone who plans to go cherry blossom viewing in Japan is advised to pay attention to possible schedule changes after several flights to and from Kansai International Airport were recently impacted by a shortage of manpower, according to local carriers.
On Tuesday, Starlux Airlines announced flights JX820 and JX821 to and from Kansai airport, which mainly serves Osaka and surrounding areas will be cancelled on Sundays from March 26 and May 7.
The flights between Taipei and Osaka have been canceled due to "persistent staffing issues" stemming from a shortage of ground crew staff, according to Starlux, the newest international carrier in Taiwan.
Customers affected by canceled flights will be given the option of receiving a full refund or being redirected to other flights to Osaka, Starlux said.
Meanwhile, Tigerair Taiwan also recently rescheduled some of its evening flights to Kansai airport due to a shortage of airport staff.
The budget airline said that it managed to reschedule flights instead of cancelling them altogether, after negotiating with the Japanese side.
Parts of Japan are about to enter the first cherry blossom season since the country lifted border restrictions on independent tourists in October last year. The Kansai region, is a hotspot for cherry blossom viewing.
EVA Air said that it had been able to avoid rescheduling or canceling flights after it negotiated with the administration of Kansai airport.
Taiwan's state-run China Airlines said on Tuesday it had not had to reschedule or cancel flights to the Japanese airport.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel