Japan Airlines (JAL) today announced that it will launch new nonstop services between Tokyo (Narita) and Melbourne starting September 1, 2017, and between Tokyo (Narita) and Kona from September 15, 2017.
Melbourne will become the second destination in Australia within JAL’s international network. Additionally, a nonstop service will return between Tokyo (Narita) and Kona, the gateway to Hawaii Island, which is one of the most popular destinations in Hawaii and surrounded by a rich natural environment. These new routes will be operated with the airline’s well-received JAL SKY SUITE configured aircraft (*1) in order to provide both business and leisure customers with greater convenience and comfort.
The JAL Group will continue to embrace new challenges to deliver greater customer convenience and comfort, enhance its networks, and improve the quality of products and services.
The following plans and schedules are subject to government approval.
Narita = Melbourne route
Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia by population, is also one of the fastest growing cities in the country. A number of Japanese businesses are already established in Melbourne and with the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement effective from January 2015, it is expected that ties between the two countries will become even stronger in the future. JAL will strengthen its network in the Oceania region with the launch of this new service, which is in addition to the airline’s current route to Sydney.
The new Melbourne service will depart from Narita in the morning and arrive into Melbourne at night, whilst the return flight will depart from Melbourne at night and arrive into Narita in the morning. By setting a different schedule from the current Sydney route (*2), customers will have more choices for their travel needs to and from the Oceania region.
(*2) Flight schedule of Sydney service: Departing from Narita at night and arriving in Sydney in the morning. Return flight departing from Sydney in the morning and arriving at Narita in the evening.
Narita = Kona route
JAL currently operates six daily flights to Honolulu, including four daily flights from Narita, and one daily flight from Osaka (Kansai) and Nagoya (Chubu), respectively. Starting September 15, 2017, JAL will resume nonstop service to Kona on Hawaii Island after a seven-year absence. The daily service from Narita will operate using the airline’s JAL SKY SUITE configured aircraft. Hawaii Island, also commonly known as the Big Island, is one of the most popular travel destinations and surrounded by a rich natural environment. With this new Kona service, both customers visiting Hawaii for the first time and those who have visited Honolulu previously, will be able to discover more of Hawaii’s countless charms.
The well-received JAL SKY SUITE 767 aircraft operating the Narita = Kona route is fitted with the airline’s latest interior including fully flat “JAL SKY SUITEⅡ”seats in Business Class. In Economy Class, “JAL SKY WIDER” seats offer increased pitch and a slim-style seatback design resulting in approximately 10 cm (max.) more legroom than the previous seat pitch.