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Japan Airlines

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Japan Airlines
日本航空
Nihon Kōkū
File:JAL logo.png
IATA ICAO Call sign
JL JAL Japanair
Founded1951 (as Japan Air Lines)
HubsNarita International Airport
Tokyo International Airport
Kansai International Airport
Osaka International Airport
Focus citiesChubu Centrair Int'l Airport
Frequent-flyer programJAL Mileage Bank
AllianceOneworld beginning early 2007
Fleet size290
Destinations125
Parent companyJapan Airlines Corp.
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
Key peopleHaruka Nishimatsu(President and CEO)
Websitehttp://www.jal.com/

Japan Airlines Corporation (株式会社日本航空, Kabushiki-gaisha Nihon Kōkū) (TYO: 9205), or JAL, is the largest airline operator in Asia.

Two companies operate 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). JAL Domestic has primary responsibility for JAL's large network of intra-Japan flights, while JAL International operates 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:

JAL has the largest fleet of Boeing 747s in the world (approximately 76, at March 2005). It is one of only two Asian airlines to fly to Latin America (Malaysia Airlines route to Buenos Aires, JAL routes to Mexico City and São Paulo).

The airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Oneworld alliance, and is expected to join in 2007. American Airlines will be supporting JAL as its prime Oneworld sponsor, assisted by Cathay Pacific.

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. [1]

On August 1, 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 Airlines, in addition to the 2-0-2's, used DC-3, DC-4, DC-6 and 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 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 45/47 system (45/47体制, yon'go-yon'nana 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 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.

JAL Boeing 747-400 in 1989-2002 colour scheme
Japan Airlines Cargo Boeing 747-400 (JA402J) waiting for take-off


Deregulated era

Japan began considering airline deregulation in the late 1970s, with the government announced 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 JALExpress 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 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, 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 is currently codesharing with several members of Oneworld, 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.

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.

Japan Airlines is one of the most widely known companies by model aeroplane collectors, their planes being produced in mass quantities by Schabak, Wooster, Herpa, Flight Miniatures, Long Prosper and Dragon Wings.

JAL Boeing 747-400

Incidents and accidents

  • On August 12, 1985, Flight 123, a Boeing 747 bound for Osaka International Airport, Itami/Toyonaka, suffered a crippling decompression shortly after takeoff from Tokyo International Airport, Ota, Tokyo, lost all its hydraulic systems and, after attempting to limp back to Tokyo, crashed into a mountain ; it was the worst single-aircraft disaster in history (and the second-worst air disaster in history); 520 out of 524 people on board died, one of them pregnant. Rescuers indicated that fewer people would have died had 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' DC-10 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. [2]

Destinations

Further information: [[:Japan Airlines destinations]]

Flight Number (International Routes)

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  • JL001,002 - San Francisco to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL003,004 - Chicago-O'Hare to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL005,006 - New York-JFK to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL009,010 - Chicago-O'Hare to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL011,012 - Mexico City to Tokyo-Narita via Vancouver
  • JL015,016 - Vancouver to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL017,018 - Vancouver to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL047,048 - São Paulo-Guarulhos to Tokyo-Narita via New York-JFK
  • JL061,062 - Los Angeles to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL070 - Tokyo-Narita to Kona
  • JL071,072 - Honolulu to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL073,074 - Honolulu to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL075,076 - Honolulu to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL077,078 - Honolulu to Osaka-Kansai
  • JL079 - Kona to Tokyo-Narita via Honolulu
  • JL087,088 - Honolulu to Osaka-Kansai
  • JL400 - Rome-Fiumicino to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL401,402 - Tokyo-Narita to London-Heathrow
  • JL405,406 - Tokyo-Narita to Paris-Charles de Gaulle
  • JL407,408 - Tokyo-Narita to Frankfurt
  • JL409 - Tokyo-Narita to Rome-Fiumicino
  • JL410 - Rome-Fiumicino to Tokyo-Narita via Milan-Malpensa
  • JL411,412 - Tokyo-Narita to Amsterdam
  • JL415,416 - Tokyo-Narita to Paris
  • JL417,418 - Tokyo-Narita to Milan
  • JL419 - Tokyo-Narita to Rome via Milan
  • JL421,422 - Osaka-Kansai to London-Heathrow
  • JL425,426 - Osaka-Kansai to Paris
  • JL435,436 - Osaka-Kansai to Paris
  • JL437,438 - Nagoya to Paris
  • JL441,442 - Tokyo-Narita to Moscow
  • JL444 - Rome to Tokyo-Narita via Moscow
  • JL445 - Tokyo-Narita to Rome via Moscow
  • JL446 - Milan to Tokyo-Narita via Moscow
  • JL447 - Tokyo-Narita to Milan via Moscow
  • JL451,452 - Tokyo-Narita to Zurich
  • JL471,472 - Tokyo-Narita to Delhi
  • JL473,474 - Osaka-Kansai to Delhi (does not exist anymore)
  • JL603 - Tokyo-Narita to Guangzhou
  • JL604 - Guangzhou to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL669 - Tokyo-Narita to Guangzhou
  • JL660 - Guangzhou to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL710 - Singapore to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL711,712 - Tokyo-Narita to Singapore
  • JL719 - Tokyo-Narita to Singapore
  • JL720 - Denpasar to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL721,722 - Osaka-Kansai to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore
  • JL723,724 - Tokyo-Narita to Kuala Lumpur
  • JL725,726 - Tokyo-Narita to Jakarta
  • JL729 - Tokyo-Narita to Denpasar
  • JL731,735,739 - Tokyo-Narita to Hong Kong
  • JL730,736,732 - Hong Kong to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL742 - Manila to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL745,746 - Tokyo-Narita to Manila
  • JL750 - Ho Chi Minh City to Tokyo-Narita
  • JL759 - Tokyo-Narita to Ho Chi Minh City
  • JL761,762 - Tokyo-Narita to Brisbane
  • JL767,768 - Tokyo-Narita to Cairns
  • JL771,772 - Tokyo-Narita to Sydney
  • JL777 - Osaka-Kansai to Sydney via Brisbane
  • JL778 - Sydney to Osaka-Kansai

Onboard 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.

Fleet

The Japan Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft at August 2006 [1] :

(more aircraft at http://www.jal.co.jp/en/aircraft/)

Type # Seats Notes
Airbus A300-600R 22 292 Domestic routes; were former Japan Air System aircraft being replaced by Boeing 787
Boeing 737-400 23 150 JAL Express/JTA domestic routes
Boeing 737-800 (30 on order)
Boeing 747-100SR SUD 1 563 High-density domestic routes
Boeing 747-200 5
Boeing 747-200F 8 High-density domestic routes
Boeing 747-300 10 350~483 High-density domestic routes
Boeing 747-300SR 2
Boeing 747-400 33 342-546 High-density domestic routes and international routes
Boeing 747-400BCF 1
Boeing 747-400D 8
Boeing 747-400F 2
Boeing 767-200 3 230 Domestic routes
Boeing 767-300 19 213~239 Domestic routes
Boeing 767-300ER 15
(3 on order)
Boeing 767-300ERF (4 on order)
International routes
Boeing 777-200 14
(1 on order) 		389 Domestic routes; partial were former Japan Air System aircraft
Boeing 777-200ER 11 International routes; partial were former Japan Air System aircraft
Boeing 777-300 7 470 Domestic routes
Boeing 777-300ER 6
(7 on order) 		292 International routes
Launch customer of aircraft
Boeing 787-3 (13 on order)
Boeing 787-8 (17 on order) Domestic routes and International routes
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 18 163 Domestic routes; were former Japan Air System aircraft
McDonnell Douglas MD-87 8 134 Domestic routes; were former Japan Air System aircraft
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 16 166 Domestic routes; were former Japan Air System aircraft

The Boeing customer codes for Japan Airlines are x46 for JAL International (pre-merger JAL aircraft) and x89 for JAL Domestic (former JAS aircraft);

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.

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 is expected to start in 2008 and the aircraft will be used on domestic and international routes (ref: Airliner World, March 2005).

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 (ref:Airliner World, September 2005).

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 Airline is looking forward to see the possibility to order the 747-8 aircraft.

Since 1984, Japan Airlines has been the largest Boeing 747 operator in the world.

The average age of Japan Airlines fleet is 12.1 years, at April 2006.

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 [4]

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.

In fiction

  • In Area 88, Yamato Airlines (YAL) was based on Japan Airlines.
  • Japan Airlines plays a prominent role in Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor.
  • In Azumanga Daioh, Japan Airlines was featured in episode 21.
  • Japan Airlines was the major sponsor of the Japanese TV drama Attention Please, airing in spring 2006. JAL provided aircraft and locations for filming in this TV drama.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Japan Airlines.

References

  1. ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
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