Next April, Dutch national carrier KLM will operate three weekly flights between Fukuoka and Amsterdam, becoming the first European airline to fly Japan’s largest city in the South.
AMSTERDAM- Travellers will have another flight routing from Japan to Europe as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines recently announced plans to become the first carrier to operate direct flights between Fukuoka and Amsterdam.
Fukuoka is the third Japan destination for KLM behind Tokyo and Osaka. KLM will propose three frequencies per week to Fukuoka from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Return flights from Fukuoka will depart Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
KLM will use the Boeing 777-200ER, which can carry up to 318 passengers, including 35 in World Business Class. KLM will be operating a total of 21 flights a week to the three Japan airports. Air France and KLM, working as a group, presently operate 53 weekly flights between Paris, Amsterdam and Japan.
Fukuoka is situated in the northern extremity of the Japanese island of Kyushu, facing the Sea of Suo to the northeast, the Sea of Genkai to the northwest, and the Sea of Ariake to the southwest. As the prefecture borders the Korean Peninsula to the continent of China with a strait in between, Fukuoka was the first place in Japan to be more influenced than other cities to China’s civilization. Ever since the Government-General of Kyushu, Dazaifu, was set up in the 7th century, Fukuoka has grown as the hub of the Kyushu region.
Authorities in Fukuoka believe that tourism in the city will have a better chance to gain more international recognition. The city is Japan’s most popular seaport for cruise ships. Over 80 cruise ship calls made a stop in 2012. The reason for the popularity is the geological proximity to China & Korea as well as the location of Hakata Port only 10 minutes drive from City’s center. The airport offers also international direct flight destinations especially to most Asian major airports.
Finally, the Kyushu Shinkansen (Bullet train) route opened entirely in 2011 connecting Fukuoka with all the major city in Kyushu within 80 minutes and in less than two hours with Kansai region (Osaka/Kyoto).
The city has over 20,000 rooms available within the city. Famous in japan as a culinary destination, Fukuoka repositioned now itself into an attractive shopping destination, following the remodeling of Hakata Station as a giant shopping complex.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
