(Updates with international flight schedules)
TOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Japan’s leading airline ANA Holdings Inc said Tuesday it would suspend 16 international routes and reduce service to three more routes in the summer due to a pandemic. COVID-19 restricts worldwide travel.
Announcing its interim flight schedule for the financial year beginning in April, ANA said domestic routes would be a major source of revenue for fiscal 2021 as it reorganises routes to meet travel demand. .
Japan has effectively closed its borders to non-residents as it aims to contain the spread of coronavirus infections, leading to an 87% drop in foreign visitors in 2020 to a 22-year low.
ANA’s new flight schedule covers the period from March 28 to October 30, which overrides the Tokyo Olympics which is scheduled to begin on July 23.
ANA said it would change the schedule as needed each month, saying it would continue to monitor demand and could resume or increase flights. (Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Ana Nicolaci da Costa)