Flights between Fukuoka and Yakushima

Hi there, I'm planning a trip to Yakushima for late March or early April. We will be visiting from the San Francisco Bay Area. I plan to spend a couple of days in Fukuoka first, and fly from Fukuoka into Yakushima.

I see there is one flight daily that travels between Fukuoka and Yakushima. Does anyone know whether flights get cancelled between Fukuoka and Yakushima at that time of the year? I'm just slightly cancelled for the single flight per day, and worried that if it's cancelled, we would have to change our plans in the last minute. I read that typhoons don't start until ~May, so hopefully it's calmer around late March/early April. Still, given rain...

Would love your advice!

There can be typhoons at that time, but they are uncommon and typically much, much further south and don't make it much past Taiwan. I can't ever recall flights around Kyushu ever being cancelled around that time, and I lived in Kyushu for many years. Yakushima does get quite a bit of rain though.

The airfares to fly there can be rather high, and they are not eligible for JAL's Explorer Fare discounts. Round trip from Fukuoka is around US $400 round trip.

First of all, March is not a typhoon season. However it could be better to change of the place to Kagoshima to visit Yakushima. You have more means of transportation between two location: There are more flight, though Kagoshima Airport is a bit too far from the city, takes nearly one hour. However there are hydrofoil and carferry service from the city port. Kagoshima, itself worth visiting: interesting history and a beautiful view of Sakurajima, volcano, and much more.

Thank you Ken and hanagasaku-san for your guidance!! I've decided to head to Kagoshima the day before we head to Yakushima and explore Sakurajima, and take the ferry to Yakushima after an overnight stay in Kagoshima. On our way back, we will take the flight from Yakushima to Fukuoka. I figure if, in the unlikely situation, that the flight to Fukuoka is cancelled, we still have other options of flying or taking the ferry to Kagoshima, and taking a the train back to Fukuoka from Kagoshima.

That sounds like a good plan. I visited Kagoshima at the same time as you are planning to & it is lovely. I didnt go to Sakurajima but watched it erupt from Shiroyama park observatory & then went to Sengen-en which I really liked.

Just suggestion, Kagoshima has a load of onsen and Sakurajima has a foot bath onsen. You could stay on Sakurajima, whose ferry service to Kagoshima City is quite fluquent, though ferry to Yakushima from the city is fairly early.
Also in case train and flight both fail still you have an express bus to Fukuoka. This is just a piece of information.

Thank you Stan and hanagasaku-san. We've been to Sakurajima 11 years ago and was marveled by it. I remember the foot bath well! We're visiting this time with a couple of friends, and looking forward to bring them. Good to know re: Sengen-en and the Kagoshima onsens. Thank you for sharing!

I read that a No. 10 Typhoon recently hit Yakushima and has done a bit of damage. I hope folks weren't hurt and the island is able to recover smoohtly, hopefully before our visit!