(), or 'JAL', is the national airline of Japan.It is the largest
airline operator in
Asia.
[1] It is based in
Tokyo,
Japan and is Japan's largest airline, operating scheduled and non-scheduled international and domestic services. Its main bases are
Tokyo International Airport and
Narita International Airport, Tokyo. It has 17,925 employees (as of March
2007).
[2]
Two companies operated under the JAL brand: and .
Japan Airlines Domestic had primary responsibility for JAL's large network of intra-Japan flights, while JAL International operated both international and trunk domestic flights. On
October 1,
2006, Japan Airlines International and Japan Airlines Domestic merged into a single brand, 'Japan Airlines International'. JAL Corporation also owns seven smaller airlines which feed or supplement
mainline JAL flights:
★
Hokkaido Air System
★
JAL Express
★
JALways
★
J-Air
★
Japan Air Commuter
★
Japan Asia Airways
★
Japan Transocean Air
★
Ryukyu Air Commuter
JAL has the largest fleet of
Boeing 747s in the world (approximately 76, as of March
2005). It is one of only three
Asian airlines to fly to
Latin America:
Malaysia Airlines routes to
Buenos Aires,
Air China routes to
São Paulo, and JAL routes to
Mexico City and
São Paulo. Japan Airlines is also accredited by
IATA's Operational Safety Audit for its safety practices.
[3]
History
Regulated era
'Japan Air Lines Co., Ltd.' was established in August
1951, with the government of Japan recognizing the need for a reliable air transportation system to help Japan grow in the aftermath of
World War II. On
October 25, using three
Northwest Airlines Martin 2-0-2 aircraft, and Northwest crews, Japan Air Lines began serving several domestic cities from Tokyo.
[4]
On
August 1,
1953, the
Diet of Japan passed the , forming a new state-owned 'Japan Air Lines', which assumed all assets and liabilities of its private predecessor on October 1. Its first aircraft, a
DC-3 named "Kinsei", was leased from
Philippine Airlines. Japan Airlines, in addition to the 2-0-2's, used
Douglas DC-3,
Douglas DC-4,
Douglas DC-6 and
Douglas DC-7 during the
1950s.
On
February 2,
1954, Japan Airlines began its first international service, flying from
Tokyo to
San Francisco. This flight, operating on a
DC-6B, made stops at
Wake Island and
Honolulu before arriving in San Francisco, A one-way ticket for the twice-weekly flight cost $650. To this day, San Francisco to Tokyo is Japan Airlines flight number 001.
In
1960, Japan Airlines bought their first jet, a
Douglas DC-8. Soon after, they decided to re-equip their airline, using jet aircraft only. That decade, many new international destinations were established.
Under the , the so-called "aviation constitution" enacted by the Japanese government in
1972, JAL was granted
flag carrier status to operate international routes, and was also designated to operate domestic trunk routes in competition with
All Nippon Airways. During this era, JAL bought the
Boeing 747, the
Boeing 727 and the
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 to accommodate their growing list of routes within Japan and to other countries. In the
1980s Japan Airlines performed special flights for the Crown Prince of Japan and the Princess,
Pope John Paul II, and for Japanese prime ministers. During that decade they also began to be more promotionally aware, with
plane models and other
promotional items being produced in quantity. It also bought new
Boeing 767 jets and retired the DC-8s and 727s.
Boeing 777-300.
Deregulated era
Japan began considering airline deregulation in the late 1970s, with the government announcing the abandoning of the 45/47 system in 1985. In
1987, Japan Airlines was completely privatised, and the other two airlines in Japan,
All Nippon Airways and
Japan Air System, were permitted to freely compete with JAL on domestic and international routes.
Japan Airlines began the
1990s with flights to help evacuate Japanese citizens from
Iraq before the start of the
Gulf War. In
1992,
Japan Air Charter was established, and in
1997 an agreement with
The Walt Disney Company was announced, making Japan Airlines the official airline of
Tokyo Disneyland. That year also
JAL Express had been established, with
Boeing 737 aircraft. Also in 1997 the airline flew the Japanese prime minister to
Peru to help negotiate in the Tupac Amaru kidnapping case. Japan Airlines acquired
Boeing 777s during that decade.
In
2001 Japan Air System and Japan Airlines agreed to merge. On
October 2,
2002 they established a new holding company called , forming a new core of the JAL Group. Aircraft liveries were changed to match the design of the new JAL Group. At that time the merged group of airlines was the sixth largest in the world by passengers carried, and the third largest measured by revenue.
On
April 1,
2004, JAL changed its name to 'Japan Airlines International' and JAS changed its name to 'Japan Airlines Domestic'. JAS flight codes were changed to JAL flight codes, JAS check-in desks were refitted in JAL livery and JAS aircraft were gradually repainted. On
June 26, 2004, the parent company Japan Airlines System was renamed to 'Japan Airlines Corporation'.
JAL applied to join the
airline alliance Oneworld on
October 25,
2005. JAL codeshares with other Oneworld airlines, including
American Airlines,
British Airways,
Cathay Pacific,
Iberia, and
Qantas. Also, Oneworld's
LAN is one of the partners of JAL's frequent flyer programme, JAL Mileage Bank. The airline joined Oneworld on
April 1 2007.
JALUX Inc., established 1962, is JAL's catering company which does a variety of work for the company including the "De sky" line of snack foods, supplying JAL's 'Blue Sky' restaurants and 'JAL-DFS' shops,
Aircraft fuel components, cabin services and In-flight duty-free. JALUX merged with JAS Trading on January 2004 to unify support operations for the JAL group.
JAL Boeing 747-400
Destinations
Charters for 2007
This year JAL will be operating charter flights to
★
Australia (
Darwin plus extra flights to
Brisbane and
Sydney)
★
Canada (
Calgary,
Montreal and
Toronto)
★
Czech Republic (
Prague)
★
Hungary (
Budapest)
★
Italy (extra flights to
Milan and
Rome)
★
Marshall Islands (
Majuro)
★
Mongolia (
Ulan Bator)
★
Palau (
Koror)
★
Switzerland (
Zurich)
★
United States of America (
Anchorage,
Fairbanks,
Kansas City and
San Jose plus extra flights to
Honolulu and
Kailua-Kona).
Fleet
The Japan Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as
August 2007:
[5]
The
Airbus and
Boeing customer codes for Japan Airlines are x'46' for JAL International (pre-merger JAL aircraft) and x'89' for JAL Domestic (former
JAS aircraft);
★ In December
2004, Japan Airlines announced the selection of the
Boeing 787 for its medium-size aircraft fleet. It is seeking 30 aircraft, with options on 20 more. Delivery For
Boeing 787 is expected to start in
2008 and the aircraft will be used on domestic and international routes.
[6]
★ Japan Airlines confirmed an order for six new
Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, three freighter and three passenger models, valued at approximately $800 million at list prices.
[7]
★ On
October 31,
2005 Japan Airlines operated its last two
DC-10 flights. One aircraft, JA8543, operating flight JL736 from
Hong Kong International Airport to
Narita International Airport, touched down at 16:05. Another aircraft, JA8541, operating flight JL952 from
Incheon International Airport to Narita International Airport touched down at 16:37, marking the DC-10's last flight with the airline, after over 30 years of operations with the airline.
In the future, Japan Airlines is looking forward to the possibility of ordering 747-8 aircraft.
The average age of Japan Airlines fleet is 12.1 years, as of April 2006.
[8]
Previously operated
★ Aircraft disposed of include 8
Boeing 737-400, 8
Boeing 747-100, 6
Boeing 747SR (one now being used as a
NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft), 19
Boeing 747-200, 5
Boeing 747-300 and 10
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft.
Services
In-flight entertainment
The JAL and JAA onboard entertainment system is called ''MAGIC''. The system is updated by JAL Entertainment Network (JEN) and features credit card phone, movies, destination guides with instructions on how to fill out immigration cards, active aircraft stats, games, and more. There are three generations of the MAGIC system: MAGIC-I, MAGIC-II, and MAGIC-III. The latest MAGIC-III system which is installed in
Boeing 767 and
Boeing 777 aircraft (also available on select
Boeing 747-400 aircraft), provides Audio/Video On Demand (AVOD) entertainment to all passengers. Aircraft with MAGIC-I and MAGIC-II have movies that automatically start when the AVOD system is turned on -- once the aircraft reaches cruise level -- and economy class passengers can tune in to watch the movie in progress. All movies restart upon completion. Executive (Business) and First class passengers have full AVOD control.
MAGIC systems have JAL's duty-free shopping catalogue, including flight crew recommendations and a video of specials available on the flight. When the aircraft is in the pushback, taxi, takeoff, ascent, descent, stacking, landing, taxi, and docking phases of flight, all TV's in the cabin automatically tune into the video camera outside the aircraft to provide "Pilot Vision" to the passengers. This feature is common on many Japanese airlines.
In June 2006, JAL announced a promotion featuring the
Nintendo DS Lite. Between June 1 and August 31, all Executive and First Class passengers would be offered use of Nintendo DS Lites specially manufactured for air travel (the wireless capabilities of these units were removed in order to conform with airline safety standards).
[3]
The JAL Group has its own inflight magazine called Skyward, reflecting the company motto of "Dream Skyward." Before merger with JAS (the current JAL Domestic), JAL's inflight magazine was called Winds. All of the JAL Group magazines are provided by JALUX.
Japan Airlines continues to find ways to improve their In-Flight Entertainment systems, including on-plane cameras on the wings, the belly, on the tail, etcetera, and also home-theater capability on overseas flights. They are also working on adding more benefits such as Satellite Radio capabilities, etcetera.
Affinity program
JAL Mileage Bank is the
frequent flyer programme of Japan Airlines and its subsidiaries. The programme is the largest in Japan. Aside from JAL's
Oneworld partners, members can earn miles on the following carriers:
★
Air France (except in special economy class to and from Japan)
(SkyTeam member)
★
Emirates
★
Hokkaido Air System (JAL feeder airline)
★
Japan Transocean Air (JAL feeder airline)
★
Ryukyu Air Commuter (JAL feeder airline)
The FLY ON Programme is the programme's elite system.
JMB members can earn "FLY ON Points(FOP)" (elite qualifying miles, EQM) and elite qualifying segments (EQS) on JAL Group and other Oneworld flights. However, a minimum of 4 flights per year must be on JAL Group carriers.
Status levels are as follows:
★ JMB Crystal (Oneworld Ruby)
:30,000 or more FOP, or 10,000 or more FOP and 30 or more EQS
★ JMB Sapphire (Oneworld Sapphire
★ )
:50,000 or more FOP, or 15,000 or more FOP and 50 or more EQS
★ JGC Premier (Oneworld Emerald)
:70,000 or more FOP, or 80 or more EQS (only qualified to
JAL Global Club(JGC) members)
★ JMB Diamond (Oneworld Emerald)
:100,000 or more FOP, or 120 or more EQS
★ Oneworld Sapphire status can also be earned by reaching Crystal status as a
JAL Global Club member.
Freight and Airmail
'JALCARGO' is the brand of Japan Airline group's freight service. JAL is a member of the
WOW Alliance on cargo. In the fiscal year ended on 31 March 2006
[9], domestically it carried 338,443 paid
tonne-kilometres (tkm) of freight and 85,519 tkm of airmail. Internationally it carried 4,541,293 paid tkm of freight and 161,690 tkm of airmail.
Incidents and accidents
★ In
1952, a
Martin 2-0-2 of Japan Air Lines crashed, killing all 37 on board.
★
Japan Airlines Flight 351 was
hijacked by the
Japanese Red Army on
March 31,
1970 while en route to
Fukuoka from
Tokyo. The nine hijackers released all the passengers and crew at
Fukuoka Airport and
Seoul's
Gimpo Airport before proceeding to
Pyongyang, where they received
political asylum.
[ ]
★
Japan Airlines Flight 472 was
hijacked by the
Japanese Red Army on
September 28,
1977. The
Douglas DC-8, en route from
Paris to
Haneda Airport in
Tokyo with 156 people on board, stopped in
Mumbai,
India. Shortly after taking off from Mumbai, five armed JRA members hijacked the aircraft and ordered it flown to
Dhaka,
Bangladesh. At Dhaka, the hijackers took the passengers and crew hostage, demanding $6 million and the release of 9 imprisoned JRA members. A chartered JAL flight carried the money and 6 of the 9 imprisoned JRA members to Dhaka, where the exchange took place on
October 2. The hijackers released 118 passengers and crewmembers, and all remaining hostages were freed later.
★
Japan Airlines Flight 350 was a
McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61,
aircraft registration , on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from
Fukuoka,
Japan, to
Tokyo. The airplane crashed
9 February 1982 on approach to
Tokyo Haneda Airport. Among the 166 passengers and 8 crew, 24 passengers were killed, with no losses among the crew.
★ Japan Airlines Flight 715, a DC-8, crashed into a hill in bad weather while attempting to land at the Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport, on
27 September 1977. 34 people were killed when the aircraft broke on impact. 46 survived.
[4]
★ On
August 12,
1985,
Flight 123, a Boeing 747 bound for
Osaka International Airport,
Itami/
Toyonaka, lost all its hydraulic systems shortly after takeoff from
Tokyo International Airport and, after attempting to limp back to Tokyo, crashed into Mount Takamagahara near Gunma Prefecture; it was the worst single-aircraft disaster in history (and it's as of 2007, the third deadliest air disaster in history, after the
9/11 hijackings and the KLM-Pan Am Tenerife collision); 520 out of 524 people on board died, one of them pregnant. Rescuers indicated that fewer people would have died if the rescuers gone straight to the crash site instead of waiting until the following morning.
★ On
August 12,
2005 metal fragments fell in a Fukuoka residential area from a JALways' flight bound for
Honolulu after an engine briefly caught fire. A boy and a man were injured by fragments. The incident also happened exactly 20 years after Japan Airlines Flight 123. The plane was forced to return to
Fukuoka Airport. The sight of flames coming from the engine was captured by a
NHK TV news crew which happened to be recording because the service to Hawaii is soon to be withdrawn as it is unprofitable.
[5]
★ On
April 2,
2007,
Flight 329, a
Boeing 777, carrying 259 people on board including Finance Minister
Koji Omi made a safe emergency landing in
Fukuoka, in south
Japan after the plane's right engine had to be shut down due to overheating. There were no injuries.
Livery
The JAL livery is called the "Arc of the Sun." The livery features the motif of a rising sun on a creamy parchment colored background. JAL is a strong supporter of
UNICEF and expresses its support by having a "We Support UNICEF" logo on each of the airline's aircraft.
JAL is known for adopting special liveries. 747 registration JA8908 carries an
Adidas soccer livery. 747 registration JA8907 is the ''Matsui Jet'', featuring the famous Japanese baseball player
Hideki Matsui. The airline's
Boeing 767-300, registration JA8253, is the ''
Expo 2005'' aircraft. Various aircraft in the JAL fleet carry a ''
Yokoso Japan'' logo supporting the Visit Japan campaign. During late 2005, Japan Airlines began using a Boeing 777 (registration JA8941), featuring Japanese actor
Shingo Katori on one side, and
television series
Saiyuki, along with its main character "
Goku" on the other side
[6]
JALways' fleet includes some colourful Boeing 747 and DC-10 aircraft with "Reso'cha" titles. These aircraft are used on charter flights to holiday destinations in the Pacific, such as
Hawaii. Reso'cha is a marketing abbreviation for Resort Charter. Reso'cha planes were formerly known as JAL Super Resort Express.
JAL is repainting all its aircraft with the new livery but JAL, JAA and JALways aircraft can still be seen in their old liveries.
JAL is also known for its liveries featuring
Tokyo Disneyland and
Tokyo DisneySea, as it is the official airline of the Tokyo Disney Resort. They sponsor the attraction Star Jets (not related to past Star Jets fleet with the old Red Crane livery), which feature a variation of the current livery on the ride vehicles. At one time there was more than 6 widebody aircraft painted with the special liveries.
References
1. [1]
2. Directory: World Airlines
3. IATA website - IATA Operational Safety Audit
4. Japan Airlines website - History
5. [2]
6. Airliner World, March 2005
7. Airliner World, September 2005
8. Japan Airlines Fleet Age
9. http://www.jal.com/ja/ir/finance/factbook/2006_03.xls
External links
★
Airline website for Japan (
Japanese)
★
Airline website for the Americas (
Japanese)
★
Corporate website (
Japanese)
★
Japan Airlines Seating Guide (Japanese)
★
Japan Airlines Fleet Pictures (Japanese)
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