BANGKOK (Apr 3): Japan's civil aviation agency has agreed to temporarily lift a ban preventing Thailand-registered airlines from operating charter flights to Japan from April 11 to May 31, Thai Transport Minister Air Chief Marshall Prajin Junthong said on Friday.

Citing safety concerns highlighted by an international audit, the agency late in March imposed a ban on Thai airlines from operating new charter and scheduled services to Japan.

Nearly 120,000 travellers seeking to go to Japan on flights operated by national carrier Thai Airways International , as well as long-haul, low-cost carriers like Thai AirAsiaX and NokScoot, had been expected to be affected by the ban.

Under the provisional lifting of the ban, airlines are not permitted to change the type of aircraft they have indicated they will operate, Prajin said at a news conference in Bangkok.

Scheduled flights into Japan will continue to operate as normal, he said.