Japan Airlines to suspend Paris-Narita flights after attacks

Japan Airlines said Tuesday it would suspend flights between Paris and Tokyo's Narita airport from next month after business slumped in the wake of the deadly attacks in the French capital.

The airline currently operates one round trip a day between Paris and Narita.

But demand dropped after the November 13 attacks left 130 dead, weighing on France's tourism industry.

On average, just 40 percent of seats are now occupied on the Narita-Paris flights, a company spokesman said.

He declined to say what the average occupancy rate was before the attacks.

"The airline will suspend flights between Paris and Narita from January 12 through February 29 except for several days," the spokesman told AFP.

"(We) will decide whether to resume the Paris-Narita flights in March after observing the situation next year," he added, without elaborating.

JAL will concentrate on flights between Paris and Tokyo's downtown Haneda airport, which have a higher occupancy than the Narita flights at about 60 percent on average, he said.

The carrier runs one round-trip flight a day between Haneda and Paris.