Hundreds Of Flights In Japan Canceled Due To Heavy Snow

JAKARTA - More than 100 domestic flights in Japan were canceled on Sunday, December 26 due to heavy snow in the north and west of the country, Japan's two biggest airlines said.

ANA Holdings had grounded 79 flights as of 4 p.m. local time, affecting about 5,100 passengers, said the airline's director of operations Hiroaki Hayakawa.

Japan Airlines Co canceled 49 flights as of 4 p.m. local time, affecting 2,460 passengers, a representative from the airline's operations division said.

Around the world, thousands of flights have been canceled over the Christmas weekend due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Japan, which is tightening border controls to counter the Omicron threat, has reported only about a dozen cases of the new variant spreading locally and a total of 231 Omicron infections, including arrivals from overseas, according to the health ministry.

The arrival lobby for international flights is deserted at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, Japan, Tuesday, November 30.

Japan has barred entry of all newcomers for at least a month in a bid to contain the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.