JAL announces Fleet and Network Plan for 2004

The JAL Group today announced route network and fleet plans for the year beginning April 1, 2004*.

From April 1st, phase 2 of the merger of Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Air Systems (JAS) comes into effect. The JAL Group will consist of two operating units, JAL INTERNATIONAL, for international passenger and freight operations, and JAL DOMESTIC for all domestic flights.

International passenger demand has generally returned to the levels of FY2002. Accordingly international network plans for FY2004 feature expansion of the Japan-China network where growth prospects are strong. From February 2005 the opening of the new Chubu Airport (Nagoya) will provide the opportunity for expanded operations to China, Asia and a new service to Europe.

The domestic network, the biggest in Japan, contains more schedule improvements for customer convenience, with expanded frequencies on popular routes. (*note: some flights starting dates may differ)

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

Japan-China network

JAL International will start new flights to Hangzhou from Tokyo and Osaka and launch its own operation to Qingdao from Osaka. The JAL Group China network will include 12 destinations in China, 26 routes and 216 flights a week, the biggest network between the two countries.

International passenger services

TOKYO-HANGZHOU NEW ROUTE 5 flights per week from March 28

OSAKA-HANGZHOU NEW ROUTE 2 flights a week from March 28

Tokyo-Qingdao Increase by 1 flight to 5 per week

Osaka-Qingdao NEW JAL Operation of 2 flights per week (currently code share with China Eastern operation twice weekly) Total flights 4 per week

Osaka-Guangzhou Increase by 2 flights to 7 weekly and with 7 code share flights with China Southern, 14 flights a week

Osaka-Kunming JAS operation ends, and from March 30, code share with China Eastern - 2 weekly flights

Sapporo-Shanghai Code share operation with China Eastern increase by 1 flight a week to 3

International cargo services

Tokyo-Shanghai Seasonal increase by 1 freighter flight a week to 5 per week (April-Oct., Dec., Mar 2005)

NEW CHUBU (NAGOYA) International Airport (Opening February 2005)

The opening on February 17, 2005 of the new Chubu International Airport serving Nagoya will present a new business opportunity for the introduction of new routes and the expansion of flights on established route now served from the present Nagoya airport

International passenger services

NAGOYA-PARIS NEW ROUTE - daily 777-200ER Code share operation by JAL with Air France

Nagoya-Bangkok Increase of 3 flights to 7 per week

Nagoya-Busan Increase of 3 flights to 7 per week

International cargo services

HONG KONG-NAGOYA-USA NEW SERVICE - 3 B747 flights per week

HONG KONG-NAGOYA-TOKYO Currently one conventional B747 Freighter per week. Equipment change to 747-400 from December

Other international network changes

International passenger services - focus on expansion of Vietnam and Indonesia 

Tokyo-Hanoi JAL's own operation will be reduced by 1 flight a week to 2 per week. In combination with Vietnam Airlines code share flights, service on this route will be 6 flights weekly

OSAKA-HANOI NEW ROUTE two flights a week

Tokyo-Ho Chi Minh City JAL's own operations will be up by one flight a week to 5 weekly. In combination with Vietnam Airlines code share flights, service on this route will be 12 flights weekly

Osaka-Ho Chi Minh City Reduced by 1 flight a week to 2 per week. In combination with Vietnam Airlines code share flights, total service on this route will be 7 flights weekly

FUKUOKA-HO CHI MINH NEW ROUTE Code share with Vietnam Airlines - 3 flights a week

Tokyo-Jakarta 7 flights a week (changed from routing inc. Denpasar)

Tokyo-Denpasar (Bali) 7 flights a week (changed from routing via Jakarta)

Tokyo-New York-Sao Paolo First half reduction of one flight per week to 3 per week

Osaka-Paris February 2005 - JAL operation ends. Code share with Air France on a daily basis

Osaka-Seoul Equipment change to larger aircraft and reduce from 14 to 7 per week.

Komatsu-Seoul Increase by 1 flight a week to 4 per week

Hiroshima-Seoul Reduce by 1 flight a week to 3 per week

TOKYO-PAPEETE & Tokyo-Osaka -Papeete-Tokyo NEW CODE SHARE with Air Tahiti Nui. 3 flights per week, with one routed via Osaka

International cargo services

Tokyo-Anchorage-London Equipment change to B747-400 freighter 3 time a week from November

Tokyo-Anchorage-Frankfurt Equipment change to B747-400 freighter 3 time a week from December

DOMESTIC NETWORK

From April all flights and travel product and services will be under the JAL brand and the JAS brand will disappear.

Current JAL flight numbers and JAS flights numbers will unified as JAL flights

All JAL DOMESTIC flights will carry new 4-figure flight numbers (now 3-figure).

All reservations centers and airport counters will be branded as JAL

Domestic route frequency changes (Daily basis)

HANEDA (Tokyo) ROUTES

Haneda-Sapporo Increased by one flight to 22 daily
Haneda-Fukuoka Increased by one flight to 21 daily

NAGOYA ROUTES

Nagoya-Fukuoka Increased by 3 flights to 8 daily
Nagoya-Sapporo Increase by 1 flight to 6 daily

SENDAI ROUTES

Sendai-Sapporo Increased by two flights to 5 daily

FLEET PLANS

The operational fleet total in FY2004 will be the same as at the end of FY2003, with 275 aircraft.

In FY2004 12 aircraft will be retired and there will be 12 new deliveries. Fleet changes, FY2004

RETIRING MD11 x 3, DC10 x 4, A300 x 3, YS11 x 2Total 12

NEW DELIVERIES B777-200ER x 3, B777-300ER x 2, B767-300ER x 4, Dash-8 Q400 x 1,B747-400F x 2Total 12

NOTE: MD80 series aircraft temporally grounded because of engine problems are expected to return to service by the end of FY2003 (by March 31, 2004).