Japan Travel in Covid Times: International Flights

Last updated 15 September, 04:00 GMT

Flying in the new era of coronavirus is certainly different to before, and can be a source of confusion and worry as we all have to adapt to new measures, policies and experiences. However, we've taken an in-depth look at what the major airlines from the UK, US, Canada and Australia are doing to keep passengers safe so that you can still travel to unforgettable destinations such as Japan.

Are flights to Japan operating?
What safety measures and policies are in place?
What is a HEPA filter?
What will happen when I arrive in Japan?

Are flights to Japan still operating?

British Airways
Along with their partners Finnair, Iberia, and Japan Airlines, British Airways are currently operating 18 flights a week to Japan. Check here for the latest flight schedules to Japan.
Qantas
According to Qantas' website, All scheduled international flights, including flights between Australia and New Zealand, are suspended until at least the end of October 2020, due to government restrictions. Check the latest info on Qantas flights to Japan here.
American Airlines
American Airlines are currently operating flights between eight different US cities and Japan. Click here for the latest schedules.
Delta
Delta is currently operating both daily and weekly flights to Japan from seven different US cities. Click here for the latest schedules.
United Airlines
United Airlines are currently operating flights to Tokyo from 12 different airports in the US. Click here for the latest schedules.

What safety measures and policies are in place?

All the major airlines have reviewed their current safety measures and policies regarding coronavirus and will likely continue to update them. Each airline has their own specific measures and requirements for staff and passengers, however there are many things that are common across the board. For example, most airlines require travellers to wear face masks throughout their journey (including at the airport and on the plane), while all the major airlines we have reviewed state that they have HEPA filters installed and which recycle the air in the aircraft every few minutes. They have also put a new emphasis on reducing contact between travellers, staff, and each other throughout the journey, as well as regularly disinfecting high-contact points such as arm rests and touch screens. Some, like Air Canada, have even developed a virtual queuing system using QR codes for travellers at the airport.
Below is a video from British Airways showing the different measures in place to keep passengers and staff safe, followed by a summary of the different policies and measures of selected airlines.

A safety message from BA

Safety measures and policies of select airlines (as of 08 August)

For the latest detailed covid-19 safety measures and policies click the links for the respective airlines below:
British Airways
Qantas
American Airlines
Delta
United Airlines
Air Canada

What is a HEPA filter?

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is a filtration system similar to that used in hospitals which filters 99.97% of small particles of the size of Covid-19 (Covid-19 virus particles measure about 125 nanometres, and the filters are designed to capture particles with a size of 10 nanometres and above) (BBC News). This means that generally every two to three minutes the air in the cabin is completely renewed, and so the air around passengers is renewed 20 to 30 times an hour. The recycled air is also apparently reused to keep temperature and humidity levels at the correct levels.

What will happen when I arrive in Japan?

On a recent test flight from Vietnam to Japan, passengers were required to take two coronavirus tests; one before departing Vietnam and again upon arrival in Japan. Both tests had to be negative in order to be allowed into the country, while each passenger's temperature was also checked prior to boarding (ANN News). You can see a short news report (in Japanese) showing the measures in place. The Nikkei Asian Review recently reported that the government is looking to provide 30-minute saliva tests for all international travellers by autumn.
These tests for coronavirus are likely to take place in purpose-built test centres which will be constructed at three major airports in Tokyo and Osaka. The centres will be exclusively for international travellers and will be complete by September this year (Kyodo News). The government aims to be able to carry out 10,000 tests per day by September (Japan Times).
Currently the vast majority of the few travellers arriving into Japan must quarantine for 14 days in a specified location and are not allowed to use public transportation. These rules are in place until the end of August, before which we expect to see another update from the government.
For the latest official coronavirus travel advisory information from the Japanese Government visit https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/

Domestic Flights in Japan

Domestic carriers in Japan are taking similar measures and policies to those international carriers listed above.
Mask-wearing in particular seems to be taken seriously by domestic airlines. In the first two weeks of September, there have been two separate incidents of passengers being removed from flights for failing to comply with mask regulations and causing significant disruption to the flight (Japan Times). One flight even made an unscheduled landing to remove the passenger en-route (Asahi Shimbun).

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