Arkia Cancels Four Flights to Tokyo Due to Regulatory Issues
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Arkia Airlines has canceled four flights to Tokyo scheduled for October 25 and 28, and November 1 and 5, 2026, due to a lack of approval for wet-leased aircraft operations. Passengers booked on later dates are unaffected. Arkia is offering affected travelers transit via other Asian cities, a change to a different destination with a discount, or a full refund, while continuing to seek approval for its own aircraft on the route.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Arkia canceled four flights to Tokyo scheduled for October 25, 28, and November 1, 5, 2026.
- The cancellations are due to Arkia not receiving approval to operate the flights using a wet-leased aircraft.
- Passengers booked on dates after November 5, 2026, are not currently required to change their reservations.
- Arkia is offering affected passengers transit via other cities, a different destination with a discount, or a full refund.
- The airline is continuing to seek approval to operate the route with its own aircraft.
Arkia Airlines announced on Monday the cancellation of four flights scheduled to Tokyo in late October and early November 2026. The cancellations stem from a failure to obtain regulatory approval for operating the flights using a wet-leased aircraft. Arkia emphasized that passengers with bookings for dates beyond these cancellations do not need to make any changes at this time.
The airline stated that despite months of effort to launch direct flights to Tokyo and secure all necessary approvals, permission for wet-leased operations was not granted. This is a common practice for some of Arkia's international routes. Consequently, the flights on October 25 and 28, and November 1 and 5, 2026, will not proceed as planned.
Arkia is offering affected passengers three alternatives: a flight to Tokyo via an intermediate destination like Bangkok or Hanoi with onward travel arranged and covered by Arkia; rebooking to another Arkia destination with a 10% discount; or a full refund. The company is continuing to pursue approval to operate the route with its own aircraft, expressing hope for a resolution in the coming weeks and reaffirming its commitment to the Tokyo route.
Passengers who booked directly with Arkia for flights to Japan can direct inquiries to a dedicated email address, Flytokyo@arkia.co.il. Arkia issued a sincere apology for the uncertainty and inconvenience, acknowledging the anticipation for travel to Japan and assuring passengers that the company is working to provide suitable solutions.
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