Professional Pilot / Grant McLaren / February 2017 - Within the world of international trip planning, the lead time requirements to arrange permits, airport slots, visas, handling arrangements, customs/immigration, etc, can cause some missions to be more complicated to orchestrate than others. ...
... Flying to Japan as a private operator is a simple permit free proposition with no lead time mandates, unless you plan on flying domestic legs. To make that 2nd stop in Japan, you'll need a special permit with 5 business days lead time, and must stick to your exact schedule and manifest for each leg.
"Planning domestic legs within Japan can be a tedious process with many associated operating restrictions to deal with," declares Avfuel Account Mgr David Kang. "CAA are real hawks in terms of who's onboard for each domestic sector. Operators often find it easier to make just 1 stop and charter locally."