Latest news with #GreaterBayAirlines'
Asahi Shimbun
03-07-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Quake rumor in Hong Kong forces canceling of Japan flights
Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai, left, holds an online meeting with Hiroki Ito, right side on screen, general manager of Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines' Japan office, at the Tottori prefectural government's office in Tottori on July 2. (Yoshihiro Tomita) TOTTORI—An unfounded rumor of an impending major earthquake in Japan has forced international flights between Yonago Kitaro Airport in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, and Hong Kong to be suspended at the end of August. The rumor that 'a major disaster will occur in Japan in July' has been spreading on social media and by other means in Hong Kong. As a result, the number of passengers on the route has plummeted since May. A representative of Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines, the operator of the flights, said the rumor triggered the decision to ground the service. Hiroki Ito, general manager of the airline's Japan office, met online with Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai on July 2 and reported the decision to suspend operations. 'The trend of voluntary restraint on travel from Hong Kong to Japan has become more pronounced since the latter half of May and we are now below the break-even point,' Ito said. 'We will suspend operations for the time being and hope to resume when the situation improves.' Hirai said, 'I hope that we can continue to keep the pipeline open for discussions and communication in the future.' Regular flights between Yonago and Hong Kong had been suspended since February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheduled route had just resumed after an interval of nearly five years when Greater Bay Airlines began service in October 2024. Currently, three flights per week are in operation. The seat utilization rate had been hovering around 60 percent every month, but in May this year, the rate was 43.3 percent, a sharp drop from 58.7 percent in April. The prefectural government believed that this was due to the spread of a rumor triggered by a Japanese manga in Hong Kong. According to Greater Bay Airlines, seat utilization in June is also expected to be around 40 percent. In May, the airline reduced the number of scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Sendai and Hong Kong and Tokushima.
Japan Forward
18-05-2025
- Japan Forward
Flights Reduced as Earthquake 'Prophecy' Spooks Hong Kong Travelers
A "prophecy" circulating on social media in Hong Kong claims that a major earthquake will hit Japan in July. In response, Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines has announced it will reduce flights between Hong Kong and Japan. The airline will cut one round trip per week from each of its routes: four weekly flights to Sendai and three to Tokushima. These changes will be in effect from May 13 to October 25. The airline cited a drop in passenger numbers driven by the so-called prophecy as the reason for the reduction. Hiroki Ito, head of Greater Bay Airlines' Japan office, said, "In February, we saw spring bookings fall by about 30% compared to our projections." He added, "After looking into it, we found that many people in Hong Kong believed the 'prophecy.' With further declines expected as July approaches, we decided to scale back flights in order to maintain the viability of the routes." Tourists crowd an area near Kyomizdudera in Kyoto. According to Hong Kong media, the rumor originated from the manga The Future I Saw: Complete Edition (2022) by artist Ryo Tatsuki, which is also available in Chinese. The speculation was sparked by a line in the book stating, "The real catastrophe will come in July 2025." Tatsuki previously gained attention for allegedly "predicting" the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake in a manga published in 1996. Additionally, a well-known feng shui master in Hong Kong claimed that the risk of earthquakes in Japan will be higher between June and August. Concerns grew further after Japan's Central Disaster Management Council released updated damage projections for a potential Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake. On April 14, the Chinese Embassy in Japan urged Chinese residents to take disaster preparedness measures. At an April 17 press conference, Tokushima Governor Masazumi Gotoda recalled a conversation with Greater Bay Airlines CEO Liza Ng, during which she shared concerns about the situation in Hong Kong. He said, "Disasters can happen anywhere. What matters is having systems in place to protect both our citizens and visitors in case of an emergency." At a press conference on April 23, Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai commented, "It's a serious issue when unscientific claims spread on social media and impact tourism. Japanese people aren't fleeing the country, so I want to reassure everyone to please visit Japan with peace of mind." The Japan Meteorological Agency states on its website: "In general, information that predicts the specific date and location of an earthquake is considered to be a hoax." ( Read the article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
