TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As Japan loosens COVID-19-related entry restrictions beginning Tuesday (Oct. 11), China Airlines has doubled the number of scheduled flights in response to the sharp increase in demand.

UDN reported that aside from allowing individual foreign tourists to enter the country, Japan also relaunched its visa-free entry program for short-term travelers. The decision was described as “a light at the end of the tunnel” for airlines and the tourism sector.

China Airlines was cited as saying that beginning in October, it increased its northeast Asia flights, which included routes between Taiwan and Japan as well as South Korea, from 30 per week to 130. Overall, it doubled the number of all of its flights.

The company reported “multiplying” bookings for flights to Japan after Taiwan and Japan announced their loosened border control policies. On Tuesday, five China Airlines flights took off from the Taipei Songshan Airport to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, as well as from Taoyuan International Airport to Tokyo’s Narita Airport, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Nagoya.

Of the five flights, the Pokémon-decorated plane dubbed the “Pikachu Jet CI” that flew from Taipei Songshan Airport to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was the most popular. The passenger plane that seated 180 was completely full.