Hong Kong Airlines Plans Sendai Launch, JAL and Garuda Announce JV & More

Welcome to the October 4, 2024, edition of the This Week in Japanese Aviation newsletter!

Over the last week, among other things, details of Hong Kong Airlines’ upcoming Sendai route were announced and JAL and Garuda Indonesia revealed they will be forming a joint venture.

Continue reading to see what else happened in Japan’s aviation industry over the last seven days. For more news, as well as further details on the ones below, make sure to visit Japan Aviation Hub.

Routes

Hong Kong Airlines will launch Hong Kong - Sendai on Dec. 14, 2024. The flights will operate three times a week.

T’Way Air will increase Seoul Incheon - Saga from the current three weekly flights to four from October 27, 2024.

China Airlines will increase Taipei Taoyuan - Sapporo New Chitose from the current daily to up to double daily between December 13, 2024, and March 9, 2025.

Air France will reduce Paris CDG - Osaka Kansai from the current five weekly flights to three from one week before the beginning of the 2024 winter schedule until the end of the schedule.

Qantas was awarded an additional Tokyo Haneda slot pair that will allow the airline to move its Brisbane and Melbourne flights from Narita.

PaxEx

JAL will use the A350-1000 on Tokyo Haneda - London Heathrow from Oct. 24, 2024. Initially, the type will operate flights JL43/JL44 on alternating days.

ANA added delay compensation request and lounge crowdedness indicator functionality to its website.

JAL will offer free onboard wi-fi to all passengers, both international and domestic, from October 1, 2024.

Operations

JAL and Garuda Indonesia will form a joint venture in April 2025. The JV has already been approved by Japan's transport ministry.

The Coral Executive Lounge will open a lounge at Nagoya Chubu on April 1, 2025. It will be the company’s first lounge outside Thailand.

RegionalPlus Wings consolidated the maintenance functions of Air Do and Solaseed Air on Oct. 1, 2024, the two airlines’ holding company announced on the same day.

Airports

Hiroshima Airport will start collecting Passenger Service Facility Charge (PSFC) from passengers departing on domestic flights on tickets issued on Jan. 7, 2025, and later.

Did You Know That…

Amakusa Airlines is one of Japan's smallest airlines with only one ATR 42-600 in its fleet. It is also the only airline serving Amakusa Airfield, connecting it with Fukuoka and Kumamoto.

That’s it for this week - thank you for reading, have a great week.

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