AirAsia X looks set to realise Japanese dream
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Long-haul low-cost carrier, AirAsia X, has had its hopes of launching flights to Japan lifted after the Japanese government relaxed its restrictive visa requirements for Malaysian citizens, Business Times has reported. The carrier has long been seeking an entry into Japan, and previously said that several Japanese airports had welcomed the move.
“With our new A330-300 being delivered, I hope to mount flights by end of the year to at least three destinations in Japan,” the airline’s CEO, Azran Osman-Rani, was quoted saying yesterday. “We explained to the Japanese authorities how our ticket booking model works and they accepted it,” he added.
Japanese regulations had required that Malaysian travellers show confirmed flight and accommodation bookings at the time of visa application. Business Times reported that AirAsia had been concerned over what would happen if a passenger bought a ticket online but was then refused a visa. The relaxing of this rule however, has now allowed AirAsia X to pursue its Japanese dream.
Osman-Rani confirmed the three destinations as the north (likely Sapporo), Osaka and Fukuoka.
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