Fuji Dream Airlines Co. is set to launch a route from Nagoya to Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, to meet an expected increase in the number of tourists to Izumo Taisha, one of the nation's oldest and most revered Shinto shrines.
The new route was announced on Monday by Shimane Gov. Zenbei Mizoguchi and FDA President Tsuneji Sugawa during a press conference at the Shimane Prefectural Government office in Matsue, the prefectural capital.
An FDA plane will fly the route once a day starting March 29. The Shizuoka-based airline said it expects annual demand of around 40,000 passengers.
"Tourism demand for the Sanin region is on the rise recently," Sugawa said at the news conference. Sanin is in southwestern Honshu.
Shimane Prefecture will launch public relations "blitz" for the new route, "which is expected to boost tourism and related business here," Mizoguchi said.
Nagoya airport is a domestic airport in Aichi Prefecture which straddles Komaki and Nagoya. Most regular flights moved to Chubu International Airport off Tokoname when it opened in 2005.
The new route marks the first route linking Nagoya and Izumo in 10 years. The Japan Airlines group carrier previously operated flights but discontinued the route in October 2004.