Qatar Airways will suspend its non-stop service between Doha and Osaka next year.
The cancellation of the route, which the Gulf carrier attributed to “commercial reasons”, will see it withdraw all operations from Osaka from March 31, 2016. Passengers affected by the change will be provided with alternative travel solutions.
The dropping of the flights to Osaka may be due to the stiff slot restrictions by Japanese airports, which limit profitability for carriers. Foreign carriers, particularly those that operate long-haul services to Japan, are forced to settle for evening departure slots.
Qatar Airways currently serves Osaka five times weekly, with flights every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Flight QR802 departs Doha at 0140 and arrives in Osaka at 1655. The return service on flight QR803 will then take off from Osaka at 2240, before touching back down in Doha at 0440 the following day.
Once it leaves the Osaka market, Qatar Airways’ presence in Japan will be limited to its daily flights to both Haneda International Airport and Narita International Airport in Tokyo.
For more information, visit qatarairways.com
Clement Huang
