Business jets (foreground) park at Hong Kong International Airport, Oct. 19, 2018. Photo by Reuters
Hong Kong Airlines has canceled its flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto in southern Japan for July and August due to an unfounded rumor predicting a major earthquake and tsunami in the country this summer.
The rumor has led to a decline in travel demand from Hong Kong to Japan, prompting reduced flight frequencies between the two regions since May, according to Japanese news site NHK.
Affected passengers may rebook flights to alternative destinations, the South China Morning Post reported.
Passengers opting for refunds will receive travel vouchers as compensation.
The airline had resumed its Kagoshima route last year after a four-year hiatus, increasing service frequency in December from three to four weekly round trips due to strong demand.
The earthquake rumor is reportedly based on a Japanese manga republished in 2021, in which the author claims to have dreamed of a major disaster striking Japan in July 2025.
The Japan National Tourism Organization has dismissed the claim, stating it has no scientific basis, and urged travelers to rely on information from official sources when making plans.
Japan recorded over 36.8 million tourist arrivals in 2024, surpassing its previous record of nearly 32 million in 2019.
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