Even as it recovers from the damage suffered from Typhoon Jebi earlier this month, Kansai Airport is will be seeing a familiar airline after more than a 20-year absence.

Starting April 1, 2019, British Airways will be launching flights between Kansai and London-Heathrow with a four-times weekly service. The flights will use Boeing 787 aircraft, as the new planes will mark the return of the airline to the area since it ended its London-Tokyo-Osaka service in October of 1998. Japan Airlines also served non-stop flights between the two cities before discontinuing it in 2009.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, said: “Our partners Japan Airlines and Finnair have demonstrated that Osaka is a hugely popular route with leisure and business travellers alike, so we are excited to launch direct flights from London, giving customers another gateway. Japan is a highly sought-after destination for British tourists and many of the country’s key attractions are within easy reach of Osaka. This new route will also open up more opportunities for companies to explore and build business in the region so we’re expecting this new service to be well received by our customers.”

Hideki Oshima, Japan Airlines’ Executive Officer International Relations and Alliances, said “We are extremely excited with the announcement of British Airways’ new route. Not only does it provide more choices and greater convenience for our passengers traveling between Japan and Europe, but it is also great news for the Kansai region. We look forward to serving our mutual customers through our codeshare service and contributing to the regional economy in Osaka.”

The news comes as a welcome to addition to Kansai Airport and the Kobe region as it recovers from Typhoon Jebi. As Japan expects to welcome more foreign visitors, the country has seen the number of visitors from the United Kingdom double in 2017. Osaka will be hosting several global events in the next few years such as Rugby World Cup and the G20 Osaka Summit next year.

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