Tokyo, April 15

A 24-hour strike by pilots at All Nippon Airways (ANA) has forced Japan’s second-largest carrier to cancel or delay more than 160 domestic flights Wednesday, a company spokesman said.

“A total of 149 flights have been cancelled, with 14 flights delayed, affecting some 7,300 passengers,” the official said after 610 union members went on strike from 2:45 am on Wednesday. The affected flights, mostly services to provincial cities and remote islands, account for 18 per cent of ANA’s domestic operations. No international flights were affected by the dispute. “We extend our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused,” the company said in a statement.