Japan suspends incoming flight bookings for citizens

TOKYO: Japan has suspended all incoming flight bookings to make it easier for citizens to return, the government said on Thursday after it announced that it was unable to change its policy due to concerns about the Omicron coronaviruses variant.

In a surprise move that affects citizens and foreign residents, the transport ministry abruptly said on Wednesday it was asking airlines to stop taking new incoming flight reservations for a month.

On Thursday, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said it would be amended.

The prime minister instructed the transport ministry to examine the issue and consider the needs of Japanese citizens hoping to return home, and caused confusion among those affected, he told reporters.

The ministry asked airlines to cancel the blanket suspension of new reservations for international flights in order to accommodate Japanese hoping to return home, he said.

Japan has had tight border restrictions throughout the COVID-19 epidemic, barring almost all foreign arrivals.

After the emergence of the Omicron variant, it had begun to ease those rules a bit last month to allow some students and business travellers entry, but reversed that decision after the emergence of the Omicron variant.