All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines will operate relief flights to Sendai Airport starting Wednesday, more than a month after the airport was inundated by water following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan's northeast. The badly damaged airport has been closed to commercial flights.

The Japanese government announced last Friday that it will "partially" reopen the airport this week. "The airport is being opened sooner than originally expected," ANA said, crediting the efforts of the Japanese transport ministry, the Japanese and US militaries and "other organizations." Beginning Wednesday, ANA will operate thrice-daily SDJ-Tokyo Haneda relief flights using a Boeing 737-800 painted with the message, "Forward together as one, Japan." The message will also be painted on several other ANA aircraft in both Japanese and English.

JAL said last Friday that while "operating conditions at Sendai Airport remain subject to change," it plans to operate daily flights to SDJ from HND and Osaka Itami from April 13-20 utilizing 737-800s. It has also extended the temporary suspension of SDJ flights from Fukuoka, ITM and Sapporo until May 31. Since March 12, JAL has operated "more than 700 extra flights to airports in the north, namely Yamagata, Hanamaki, Akita and Aomori from Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo," it said.