Japan Airlines

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Not to be confused with Air Japan, the charter carrier.
Japan Airlines
日本航空
Nihon Kōkū
IATA
JL		 ICAO
JAL		 Callsign
JAPAN AIR
Founded 1950
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent flyer program JAL Mileage Bank
Member lounge SAKURA Lounge
Alliance Oneworld (passenger)
WOW (cargo)
Subsidiaries
Fleet size 213 (+77 Orders, 25 Options) incl. JAL Cargo
Destinations 125
Company slogan Dream Skyward
Headquarters Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan[1][2]
Key people Haruka Nishimatsu
(President and CEO)
Website: http://www.jal.com/

Japan Airlines Corporation (株式会社日本航空 Kabushiki-gaisha Nihon Kōkū?) (TYO: 9205), or JAL, is the national airline and flag carrier of Japan.[3] It is the largest airline operator in Asia,[4] and is a member of the Oneworld global airline alliance.[5] Based at Narita International Airport (for international flights) and Tokyo International Airport (for domestic flights), Japan Airlines operates scheduled and non-scheduled international and domestic services to 125 destinations worldwide. The airline's corporate headquarters are located in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan.[1][2]

Japan Airlines's origins date to October 1, 1953 when the Japanese government approved the creation of a state-owned airline.[6] In 1954, the newly-formed carrier began its first international operations with transpacific flights to the United States. After three decades of service and expansion, the airline was fully privatized in 1987. In 2002, Japan Airlines merged with Japan Air System, the country's third-largest carrier. As of 2008, Japan Airlines carries 50 million passengers annually,[7] and the airline plus its associated divisions has 17,925 employees as of 2007.[8] Japan Airlines is also accredited with IATA's Operational Safety Audit for its safety practices.[9]

Japan's flag carrier operates a long-haul fleet of Boeing 747, 767, and 777 aircraft on international routes, and utilizes Airbus, Boeing, and McDonnell Douglas aircraft for short-haul operations. The airline's freight division, JAL Cargo, flies a fleet of Boeing freighter aircraft. JALways, the airline's tourist subsidiary, operates flights to Polynesia and Southeast Asia. Japan Airlines's six domestic subsidiaries, Hokkaido Air System, JAL Express, J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Japan Transocean Air, and Ryukyu Air Commuter operate feeder services and short-haul routes to secondary destinations.[10]

Japan Airlines' slogan is "Dream Skyward."

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Regulated era

Japan Airlines introduced its first jet aircraft, the DC-8, in 1960.

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.[11] On 1 August 1953, the Diet of Japan passed the Japan Air Lines Company Act (日本航空株式会社法 Nihon Kōkū Kabushiki-gaisha Hō?), 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 Air Lines, 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 2 February 1954, Japan Air Lines began its first international service, flying from Tokyo to San Francisco.[6] 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 JAL flight number 001. In 1960, Japan Air Lines received its first jet, a Douglas DC-8.[6] Soon after, they decided to re-equip the fleet, exclusively using jet aircraft. That decade, many new international destinations were established.[6]

Japan Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita deplanes from a JAL DC-10 while on a state visit to the United States in 1989.

Under the 45/47 system (45/47体制 yon'go-yonnana taisei?), 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 its growing list of routes within Japan and to other countries.[6] 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 (until the introduction of the dedicated "Japanese Air Force One" aircraft in the 1990s, JAL was generally chartered for official government trips overseas). During that decade the airline also began to market more actively, with plane models and other promotional items being produced in quantity. JAL also bought new Boeing 767 jets and retired the DC-8s and 727s.

By 1965, over half of JAL's revenue was being generated by transpacific routes to the United States, and JAL was further lobbying the United States for fifth freedom rights to fly transatlantic routes from the East Coast.[12] In 1978, JAL started flights to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil via Anchorage and San Juan; the stopover was changed to Los Angeles in the 1980s,[13] and then to JFK Airport in New York.[13] In 1975, Japan Airlines was headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.[14]

[edit] Deregulated era

JAL DC-10-40D in 1989-2002 colour scheme

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 privatized, 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.[6] Increased competition resulted in changes to Japan Airlines' corporate structure; the airline was reorganized into three divisions: international passenger service, domestic passenger service, and cargo (including mail) service,[6] and increased marketing efforts were realized.[6] In 1985 JAL was still headquartered in Chiyoda.[15]

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. In the 1990s the airline further encounter economic difficulties stemming from recessions in the United States and United Kingdom, plus a domestic downturn.[6] Following years of continuous profit since 1986, the airline began to post operating losses in 1992. Cost-cutting initiatives, including the formation of the low-cost JAL Express domestic subsidiary and the transfer of tourist operations to JALways (the successor to Japan Air Charter), helped return the airline to profitability in 1999.[6]

In 1997, the airline flew the Japanese prime minister to Peru to help negotiate in the Tupac Amaru kidnapping case. Japan Airlines further placed orders for Boeing 777s during the 1990s, allowing for fleet renewal. Japan Airlines was one of eight airlines which participated in the Boeing 777 design process, shaping the resulting design to their specifications.[16]

[edit] JAS merger

In 2001 Japan Air System and Japan Airlines agreed to merge. On 2 October 2002 they established a new holding company called Japan Airlines System (日本航空システム Nihon Kōkū Shisutemu?), 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,[17] and the third largest measured by revenue.

A Japan Air System (JAS) Airbus A300-600R with JAL logo on the fuselage

On 1 April 2004, JAL changed its name to Japan Airlines International and JAS changed its name to Japan Airlines Domestic.[18] 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.

Following the merger, two companies operated under the JAL brand: Japan Airlines International (日本航空インターナショナル Nihon Kōkū Intānashonaru?) and Japan Airlines Domestic (日本航空ジャパン Nihon Kōkū Japan?). 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 1 October 2006, Japan Airlines International and Japan Airlines Domestic merged into a single brand, Japan Airlines International.[19]

[edit] Recent developments

JAL applied to join the airline alliance Oneworld on 25 October 2005. The airline joined Oneworld on 1 April 2007, and now codeshares extensively with other Oneworld airlines, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, and Qantas.

On 1 April 2008, JAL officially merged its former subsidiary Japan Asia Airways (JAA) into the mainline Japan Airlines. JAA exclusively flew to Taiwan between 1975 and 2008 due to the political status of Taiwan, after which JAL assumed the operations of its former subsidiary.[20]

[edit] Corporate affairs and identity

[edit] Organization

Japan Airlines headquarters in Shinagawa, Tokyo

In addition to its operations under the JAL name, JAL owns six domestic airlines which feed or supplement mainline JAL flights:

JALways is an international subsidiary of JAL which handles low-yield flights to resort destinations in Hawaii, Oceania and Southeast Asia.

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 Cargo 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,[21] 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.

[edit] Livery

A Japan Airlines McDonnell-Douglas MD-81 in current "Arc of the Sun" livery and with a Unicef logo

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 repainted all its aircraft with the new livery. The last flight in the old (tsurumaru) livery took place on 31 May 2008.[22] 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.[23]

"JAL Eco Jet"

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 were more than six widebody aircraft painted with the special liveries.

JALways, whose fleet is entirely made of Boeing 747 aircraft, has painted all of its aircraft with tropical-influenced liveries along 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.

In 2008 JAL repainted a single 777-200 to have a green rather than red arc on its tail, along with a green origami airplane on the fuselage, and named it the "Eco Jet", to highlight the company's efforts to reduce the environmental impact of commercial aviation. [24]

[edit] Logo

JAL logo at time of foundation (1951-1989)

The original Japan Airlines logo consisted of the letters JAL stretched out to form wings.[25] This was replaced in 1960 with the airline's long-running tsurumaru logo, featuring a Japanese red-crowned crane. The tsurumaru logo was designed in 1959, in time for the debut of the airline's first DC-8 jet aircraft the following year.[25] The first such jet, named "Fuji," was used on the airline's transpacific international flights. The tsurumaru logo was utilized for four decades, until Japan Airlines began replacing it 2002 with the "Arc of the Sun" livery.

1990s JAL logo (1989-2002)

From 1989, Japan Airlines adopted a new livery featuring the acronym JAL displayed prominently on the fuselage, displacing the previous "Japan Air Lines" lettering. Created by Landor Associates,[26] the redesigned color scheme retained the tsurumaru logo on the tail, but added a second JAL logo which incorporated the new livery's red and gray fuselage cheatline. This logo was used on most JAL signage and advertisements until it was replaced in 2002.

Japan Airlines replaced both prior logos with the debut of the "Arc of the Sun" livery developed for the 2002 merger with Japan Air System. The acronym logo is now used on the aircraft fuselage and it signage and advertisements.

[edit] Destinations

JAL check-in counters at Kansai International Airport
Further information: Japan Airlines destinations

Japan Airlines serves destinations in Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. JAL's hubs are Narita International Airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Kansai International Airport, and Osaka International Airport (Itami). JAL's extensive domestic route network, including JAL Group flights and code-shares, reaches 61 destinations within Japan.[10]

In recent years JAL has cut back on service to a number of secondary airports in various continents, in favor of code-sharing through the Oneworld alliance and other airline partners. During the 1980s, JAL had a large operation in the Middle East, with flights to Cairo, Bahrain, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and other destinations, all of which have since been terminated. JAL remains one of five Asian airlines to fly to Latin America, with scheduled flights to Mexico City (via Vancouver) and São Paulo (via New York City). The others are Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, and Korean Air.

[edit] Fleet

[edit] Passenger fleet

The Japan Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of June 2009):[27]

Japan Airlines Passenger Fleet
Aircraft Photo Total Orders Options Passengers
(First/Business/Economy)		 Haul
Airbus A300-600R 22 0 0 290 (0/34/256) Short Haul
Boeing 737-400 8 0 0 165 (0/20/145) Short Haul
Boeing 737-800 12 21 0 144 (0/12/132)
165 (0/20/145)		 Short-Medium Haul
Boeing 747-300 11 0 0 431 (0/41/390)
452 (0/50/402)		 Short-Medium Haul
Boeing 747-400 22 0 0 303 (11/91/201)
323 (11/77/235)
382 (12/69/301)
411 (0/74/338)
447 (0/55/392)		 Long Haul
Boeing 747-400D 9 0 0 546 (0/80/466) Short Haul
Boeing 767-200 3 0 0 207 (0/16/191) Medium Haul
Boeing 767-300 23 0 0 232 (0/30/202)
261 (0/42/219)		 Short-Medium Haul
Boeing 767-300ER 20 2 0 237 (0/30/207) Medium-Long Haul
Boeing 777-200 8 0 0 375 (14/82/279)
380 (0/50/330)
397 (0/88/309)		 Short Haul
Boeing 777-200ER 11 0 0 268 (0/56/212)
302 (0/63/239)		 Long Haul
Boeing 777-300 7 0 0 500 (0/78/422) Short Haul
Boeing 777-300ER 10 6 0 246 (8/77/161)
272 (9/63/200)
292 (9/63/220)		 Long Haul
Boeing 787-8 0 22 20 TBA TBA
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 10 0 0 163 (0/0/163) Short Haul
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 16 0 0 150 (0/18/132) Short Haul
Embraer E-170 0 10 5 78 (0/0/78) Short Haul
Total 196 77 25

[edit] Cargo fleet

The JAL Cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of January 2009):[28]

JAL Cargo Fleet
Aircraft Total Capacity
Boeing 747-200F 6 90 tons / 82,000 kg (180,000 lb)
Boeing 747-400BCF 2 110 tons / 100,000 kg (220,000 lb)
Boeing 747-400F 6 110 tons / 100,000 kg (220,000 lb)
Boeing 767-300F 3 52 tons / 47,000 kg (100,000 lb)
Total 17

[edit] Fleet notes

A JAL 747-400 landing at Vancouver International Airport
JAL 777-300 in Oneworld special livery
  • The Boeing customer code for Japan Airlines is x46 for JAL International (pre-merger JAL aircraft) and x89 for JAL Domestic (former JAS aircraft);
  • JAL is one of a few airlines to operate 10-abreast seating in economy cabins of 777 fleet (also includes ANA, China Southern and Emirates); this only applies to domestic-only fleet (same goes for ANA).
  • JAL announced the selection of the Boeing 787 for its medium-size aircraft fleet in December 2004. It is seeking 30 aircraft, with options on 20 more.
  • JAL confirmed an order for six new Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, three freighter and three passenger models, valued at approximately $800 million at list prices.[29]
  • JAL is considering ordering the Airbus A350, the 787's direct competitor. JAL stated that the new A350XWB is a strong candidate for future expansion, possibly to replace older Boeing 777 models.[30]
  • The average age of the JAL fleet is 11.4 years, as of January 2009.[31]

[edit] Fleet history

[edit] Services

[edit] Cabin classes

JAL First Class "Skysleeper Solo" seats.

International JAL services currently feature the fully-flat First Class Skysleeper Solo, Executive Class Seasons Shell Flat Seat, and Economy Class. A Premium Economy class has recently been introduced, along with a domestic First Class.

The international First Class Skysleeper Solo reclines fully flat and features leather upholstery from Poltrona Frau of Italy. The Executive Class Seasons business class seat is a lie-flat design. On international routes over a certain length, an in-flight self-service snack counter is provided in all classes.

[edit] Domestic cabin

On domestic flights, JAL has introduced two premium cabins in addition to Economy, a domestic First Class, and a domestic business class known as "Class J".

[edit] New cabin

JAL Seasons Class (Business Class)'shell' seats.

JAL has recently introduced new international First and Executive Class seats: the "JAL Suite" for First Class, featuring a seat 20% roomier than the Skysleeper Solo in a 1-2-1 configuration, and the "Shell Flat Seat Neo", a slightly-revised version of the original Shell Flat Seat, with a wider seat, expanded center console, and the world's first in-flight gallery, Sky Gallery. These seats, along with the Premium Economy seats, debuted on New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport flights 5 and 6 in August 2008, and it expanded to the San Francisco, California (San Francisco International Airport) route in September 2008, with Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare International Airport) and Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles International Airport) flights following sometime in 2009.

Eight JAL Suites will be installed in each 777-300ER aircraft, with 46 seats comprising the rest of the Executive Class seating and 115 economy seats taking up the rest of the aircraft cabin. The purpose is to improve income yield per passenger, while reducing fuel cost per passenger mile, utilizing the most efficient aircraft available.[38][39][40]

[edit] In-flight entertainment

JAL Economy cabin with MAGIC systems.

The following in-flight entertainment options are available on Japan Airlines flights:

[edit] MAGIC

The JAL 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 four generations of the MAGIC system: MAGIC-I, MAGIC-II, MAGIC-III, and MAGIC-IV. The MAGIC-III system which is installed in Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 aircraft (also available on selected 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 also have JAL's duty-free shopping catalogue, including flight crew recommendations and a video of specials available on the flight.

[edit] Aircraft cameras

In-flight nose camera view.

On most JAL international flights, on-plane cameras are available, either on the wings, the belly, or on the tail. 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.

[edit] Additional media

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 its In-Flight Entertainment systems, including home-theater capability on overseas flights. They are also working on adding more benefits such as satellite Radio capabilities. The most recent upgrade happened on December 1, 2007, when the number of channels on MAGIC-III onboard entertainment system increased to over double, from 57 to 130.[41]

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).[42]

JAL "Class J" in-flight snack.

[edit] In-flight catering

Japan Airlines offers a variety of meals on intercontinental routes, depending on seat class, destination and flight length. Western and Japanese menu selections are typically offered,[43] including seasonal menu selections varied by destination.[44] Special meal offerings can be requested in each class during booking, including children's, religious, vegetarian, and other meals.[45]

[edit] Sakura Lounge

Sakura Lounge in Narita Terminal 2

"Sakura" Lounge is the name of Japan Airlines' main airline lounge. In addition to the "Sakura" Lounge, Japan Airlines also operates dedicated First Class Lounges, and domestic lounges. Lounges have been maintained at over 50 destinations worldwide.[46] Access depends on ticket status (class of travel, such as first class or business class), and/or JAL Mileage Bank card status.

In the "Sakura" Lounge, complimentary drinks, and expedited baggage handling are among services provided,[46] along with other refreshments, business facilities, and television and reading entertainment. At the Narita International Airport "Sakura" Lounge, services further include wireless internet access, a library, and theatre room. "Sakura" Lounge locations include:

  • Tokyo, Japan (Narita)
  • Osaka, Japan (Kansai)
  • Nagoya, Japan (Chubu)
  • Fukuoka, Japan
  • Seoul, South Korea (Incheon)
  • Taipei, Taiwan (Taoyuan)
  • Hong Kong SAR
  • Shanghai, China (Pudong)
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Frankfurt, Germany
  • London, UK (Heathrow)
  • Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
  • New York, New York, USA (JFK)
  • San Francisco, California, USA
  • Vancouver, B.C., Canada

[edit] JAL Mileage Bank

JAL Mileage Bank card

JAL Mileage Bank is the largest frequent flyer program of Japan Airlines. In addition to JAL's feeder airlines and Oneworld alliance partnerships, JAL offers frequent flyer partnerships with Air France (except in special economy class between Paris, Amsterdam and Japan), Emirates Airline (except in special economy class fares), China Eastern Airlines, and Mexicana de Aviación.[47]

If a JAL Mileage Bank member does not accumulate mileage within 36 months after becoming a member, or a member's account remains inactive at zero mileage for a consecutive 36 month period, JAL may withdraw or cancel the membership of such member. Mileage will be valid through the last day of the 36th month following the month of transaction. After the expiration date, the mileage in the Member's account will expire.

The FLY ON Program is the program'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. The status levels are as follows:

  • JMB Crystal (matches 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 for 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.

[edit] Codeshare agreements

Japan Airlines has codeshare agreements with its Oneworld alliance member partners, and additional airlines outside the alliance. Passenger codeshare agreements include:[10]

Oneworld alliance

Additional codeshares

[edit] In popular culture

Japan Airlines has been the focus of several television programs in Japan over the years, most being dramas revolving around cabin attendants. Attention Please! was a drama in 1970 that followed the story of a young girl who joins JAL to be a cabin attendant while overcoming many difficulties.[49] This show was remade in 2006 again as Attention Please starring Aya Ueto who joins a class of cabin attendant nominees and later graduates.[49] Most of the action of the story of the 2006 series takes place at JAL's Haneda flight operations headquarters. The series has had two specials since the original, marking the main character's transition into JAL's international operations.

During the 1980s, JAL was also the focus of another drama entitled Stewardess Monogatari which featured another young girl during training to be a JAL cabin attendant.[50] During the 1990s, JAL featured several commercials with celebrities, including Janet Jackson who danced and sang to a backdrop of JAL 747s on rotation.[51]

[edit] Incidents and accidents

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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)
  • Japan Airlines Flight JA8032 accidentally landed in San Francisco Bay approx. 2 1/2 miles short of San Francisco International Airport on November 22, 1968. The McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 aircraft was recovered after being in the water for 55 hours. There were no injuries to the crew nor to any passengers. [53] Pilot Kohhei Asoh said that he mistakenly believed that he was landing on the runway when in fact the plane hit the water several hundred yards away.[54]
  • On January 13, 1977, a JAL Douglas DC-8 Freighter, registration JA8054, crashed at Anchorage, Alaska on a nonscheduled operation, killing all five occupants, including three crew members and two passengers. Among the victims was a pilot; his initial blood alcohol level was 298 milligrams; 100 milligrams was the legal intoxication limit for the state of Alaska. Aircraft began takeoff at the wrong position on the runway and his decision was not questioned by his fellow crewmembers. The aircraft lifted off the runway and stalled into terrain.[59]
CG render of Japan Airlines Flight 123
  • 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 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, including 8 of the 10 crew members and 26 of the 69 passengers, were killed when the aircraft broke on impact.[60]
  • On 17 Sep 1982, a Douglas DC-8-61 is operating Japan Airlines Flight 792, from Shanghai Hongqiao Int'l Airport to Tokyo Narita Int'l Airport. At 9 minutes after take-off, the crew heard a strange noise coming from the lower middle part of the aircraft. This was immediately followed by a hydraulic low level warning, a hydraulic reservoir air low pressure warning, a complete loss of hydraulic system pressure, abnormal flap position indications, and a complete loss of air brake pressure. The crew elected to return to Shanghai for an emergency landing. The DC-8 touched down fast on runway 36 and overran and came to rest in a drainage ditch.[citation needed]
CG render of the 2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incident involving JA8904, a Boeing 747-400, diving under JA8546, a Douglas DC-10
  • On 8 June 1997, Japan Airlines Flight 706 from Hong Kong to Nagoya, using an McDonnell Douglas MD-11, experienced abrupt "abnormal" altitude changes before landing in Nagoya.[61] Eight people were injured and one, a cabin attendant, died 20 months after the incident. The Japanese authorities indicted the captain, Koichi Takamoto, but he was acquitted.[62][63]
  • On November 12,2001, a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 took off from John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, NY. About 2 minutes later, American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300-600, took off from the same runway. The JAL plane created wake turbulence from its passage, and the American Airlines jet flew into it and lost control. Nobody was hurt in the JAL airliner, but 265 people died on Flight 587 (including passengers, and crew) as the plane crashed in Jamaica Bay at least 5 miles from the runway at John F. Kennedy Ariport.
  • On 12 August 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 was about to be withdrawn as it was unprofitable. [2]
  • On 2 April 2007, Japan Airlines 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.
  • On 11 May 2009, a large metal baggage container - measuring approximately 5 feet by 5 feet by 4 feet - was sucked into the engine of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 with 245 passengers from Los Angeles International Airport. The accident occurred about 1:30 p.m. when Flight 61 to Narita, Japan, pulled back from Gate 101 at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Airport officials said the vacuum created by the air intake of the left outboard engine was so strong it pulled the empty container off a baggage cart that was either parked or driven too close to the aircraft. There were no injuries and other arrangements were made for the 245 passengers and 18 crew members.[64]

[edit] See also

Tokyo portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Information & Reservations." Japan Airlines. Retrieved on December 8, 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Company Profile." Japan Airlines. Retrieved on December 8, 2008.
  3. ^ "Japan Air Lines Flying High on National Loyalty", The New York Times
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  20. ^ Planned Integration of Japan Asia Airways with JAL International
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  28. ^ All About the JAL Group - Flight
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  39. ^ JAL To Introduce State-of-the-Art First Class Suite & Business Class Seat
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  41. ^ JAL Doubles MAGIC 3 Inflight Entertainment Programming, starting December 1, 2007; press release.
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  48. ^ Air Canada Codeshare Partners
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