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Significant Flight Reductions, Route Suspensions and Redeployment at JAL

Travel News Asia Latest Travel News Podcasts Tuesday, 12 August 2008

With the high prices of jet fuel, the JAL Group has decided to carry out a bold review of its original FY2008 route, flight frequency and fleet plan further concentrating its resources on improving profitability and increasing competitiveness.

The airline group aims to improve profitability by increasing flight frequency on four high growth, high profit routes in Asia where demand is strong, whilst suspending services on three under-performing international routes. JAL will also expand aircraft downsizing by introducing smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft on an additional five international routes.

In Japan, JAL will conduct the biggest review of its domestic passenger operations since 2002 by cutting unprofitable routes, adjusting supply to demand through flight frequency reductions on other routes and by adding more flights on popular routes. The airline will increase flight frequency on five routes, decrease flight frequency on four other routes, and will suspend a total of 12 routes.

JAL aims to increase overall competitiveness by improving the products and services offered on selected international routes. The JAL Shell Flat Seat, the airline's business class seat in JAL Executive Class will be introduced onto routes serving between Tokyo and Sydney, and Tokyo and Jakarta. JAL Premium Economy featuring the JAL Sky Shell Seat with 20% more legroom than available in economy class will be introduced onto four more routes. The airline will also start operating on all China routes aircraft fitted with personal TV monitor in all classes of travel. Currently, this is offered on approximately 95% of China routes.

The airline will also revise the schedules of five international passenger routes improving departures times and connectivity to increase their customer appeal and ultimately the income they generate.

Regarding international cargo operations, flight frequency will be reduced in the second half of FY2008 when compared to the fist half of the fiscal year with the objective of increasing profitability. One aircraft freighter routing will be suspended and two new ones will be introduced.

INTERNATIONAL PASSENGERS

Flight Frequency Increase - Route Details Date Effective
Tokyo (Narita) – Seoul Increase flight frequency from 21 to 26 flights per week Oct 26, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) – Shanghai (Pudong) Increase flight frequency from 14 to 21 flights per week Oct 26, 2008
Osaka (Kansai ) – Hanoi Daily service to be established. Increase flight frequency from 4 to 7 flights per week Oct 26, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) - Seoul Increase flight frequency from 14 to 21 flights per week Oct 26, 2008
Route Suspension Details Date Effective
Fukuoka – Shanghai (Pudong) Service suspension (7 flights per week) Oct 26, 2008
Nagoya (Chubu) – Busan Service suspension (7 flights per week) Oct 26, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) – London Service suspension (7 flights per week) Mar 29, 2009
Aircraft Changes - Route Details Date Effective
Tokyo (Haneda) – Shanghai (Hongqiao) Aircraft change from 747-400 to 777-200ER Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Shanghai (Pudong) Aircraft change from 767-300ER to 737-800 (only JL619/ 610) Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Hangzhou Aircraft change from 767-300ER to 737-800 Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Taipei Aircraft change from 747-400 to 767-300ER - (only JL647/ 642) Mar 1, 2009
Osaka (Kansai ) – Shanghai (Pudong) Aircraft change from 767-300ER to 737-800 - (only JL629/ 620) Jan 1, 2009
Schedule Changes - Route Details Date Effective
Tokyo (Narita) – Kuala Lumpur Earlier Narita departure to improve connections onto Malaysia domestic flight (JL723) Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Amsterdam Earlier Narita departure to improve connection onto intra-European services (JL411) Oct 26, 2008
Guangzhou – Tokyo(Narita) Improve flight timing by offering later departure time from Guangzhou (JL660) Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) - Busan Improve flight timing by offering later departure time from Narita (JL969), and earlier departure time from Busan (JL960) Oct 26, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) - Busan Improve flight timing by offering earlier departure from Kansai (JL967) Oct 26, 2008
Service Improvement - Route Details Date Effective
Tokyo (Narita) – Sydney Introduction of JAL Shell Flat Seat to business class From Oct 27, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Jakarta Introduction of JAL Shell Flat Seat to business class From Jan 1, 2009
Tokyo (Narita) – Moscow Introduction of JAL Premium Economy service on route From Nov 29, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Amsterdam Introduction of JAL Premium Economy service on route From Oct 2, 2008 (available Thu, Sat, Sun from Oct 2 – Dec 5, 2008 >>daily service from Dec 6, 2008)
Osaka (Kansai) – London Introduction of JAL Premium Economy service on route From Nov 1, 2008 (available Mon, Wed, Fri from Nov 1 – 28, 200 >>daily service from Nov 29, 2008)
Nagoya (Chubu) – Paris Introduction of JAL Premium Economy service on route From Dec 6, 2008
All China routes Introduce aircraft with personal TV monitor in all classes of travel From Jan 1, 2009
DOMESTIC PASSENGERS
 Flight Frequency Increases - Route Details Date Effective
Tokyo (Haneda) – Matsuyama Increase flight frequency from 4 to 5 flights per day Nov, 2008
Tokyo (Haneda) – Miyazaki Increase flight frequency from 4 to 5 flights per day. Excluding year end, New Year, Spring holidays Nov, 2008
Fukuoka – Tokyo (Narita) Increase flight frequency from 1 to 2 flights per day. Provide smooth connections onto Los Angeles and New York flights Nov, 2008
Nagoya (Chubu) - Sapporo Increase flight frequency from 4 to 5 flights per day Feb, 2009
Osaka (Itami) - Niigata Increase flight frequency from 5 to 6 flights per day Mar, 2009
Flight Reductions - Route Details Date Effective
Osaka (Kansai) – Sapporo Decrease flight frequency from 6 to 4 flights per day Nov, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) – Fukuoka Decrease flight frequency from 4 to 3 flights per day Nov, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) – Okinawa (Naha) Decrease flight frequency from 5 to 4 flights per day. Same number of flights as second half FY2007 Nov, 2008
Nagoya (Komaki) - Kumamoto Decrease flight frequency from 2 to 1 flights per day Nov, 2008
Route Suspensions Details Date Effective
Osaka (Kansai) – Hakodate Service suspension (1 flight per day) Nov, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) – Sendai Service suspension (1 flight per day) Nov, 2008
Osaka (Kansai) – Iwate Hanamaki Service suspension (1 flight per day) Feb, 2009
Osaka (Kansai) – Akita Service suspension (1 flight per day) Feb, 2009
Osaka (Kansai) – Fukushima Service suspension (1 flight per day) Feb, 2009
Osaka (Itami) – Fukushima Service suspension (1 flight per day) Feb, 2009
Kobe – Kagoshima Service suspension (2 flights per day) Feb, 2009
Nagoya (Chubu) – Fukuoka Service suspension (3 flights per day) Mar 29, 2008
Iwate Hanamaki – Okinawa (Naha) Spring holidays daily service to be suspended Mar, 2009
Sendai – Okinawa (Naha) Seasonal daily service to be suspended Dec 19 ,2008
Fukushima – Okinawa (Naha) Service suspension (1 flight per day) - Operated by JTA Feb, 2009
Kochi – Okinawa (Naha) Service suspension (3 flights per day) - Operated by JTA Feb, 2009


INTERNATIONAL CARGO

Route Details Aircraft Date Effective
Tokyo (Narita) – Anchorage – New York Decrease from 6 to 3 flights per week 747-400F Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Los Angeles Decrease from 7 to 6 flights per week 747-400F Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Kuala Lumpur – Manila – Osaka (Kansai) – Tokyo (Narita) Routing suspension (1 flight per week) 767-300F Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Hong Kong Increase from 1 to 2 flights per week Additional flight using 767-300F Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Singapore – Bangkok- Nagoya (Chubu) – Tokyo (Narita) Decrease from 3 to 2 flights per week 747-400F Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Singapore – Bangkok- Osaka (Kansai) – Tokyo (Narita) New routing (1 flight per week) 767-300F Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Taipei Decrease from 5 to 4 flights per week 747-400F Oct 26, 2008
Tokyo (Narita) – Taipei – Nagoya (Chubu) – Tokyo (Narita) New routing (1 flight per week) 747-400F Oct 26, 2008

Recently many airlines including, among others, Cathay Pacific, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Virgin Blue and Air Canada have announced significant reductions or redeployments to their international operations.

See other recent news regarding: Travel News AsiaPromotions, New Hotels, JAL, Reductions

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