April 29, 2010
Japan Airlines will crease operations of its daily Boeing 767 service to Brisbane from Toyko Narita Airport in September, but assures it will seek to reinstate the service when the company returns to profitability.
According to a statement issued by Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) today, the decision is “disappointing” but not unexpected following Japan Airline’s filing for bankruptcy in January.
BAC met with Japan Airlines in Tokyo in February and again more recently to receive a briefing on the circumstances surrounding the decision.
It has been working in cooperation with Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia for over a year on marketing campaigns to try to rescue the service.
Since November last year when Japan Airlines downsized its Brisbane service aircraft from an ageing Boeing 747 to a near new Boeing 767, passenger loads have been almost at capacity, averaging over 80 percent up to March this year.
In its letter to BAC, Japan Airlines says it “deeply regretted” the decision which was taken following a requirement by its administrators to sell its fleet of fourteen Boeing 747 aircraft and to retire the ageing Airbus A300's.
Brisbane's B767 will be allocated to another route in the JAL network.
RESTRUCTURE TO RECOVERY
BAC understands Japan Airlines's restructuring could take anywhere between one to three years and is being overseen by the Japan Ministry of Transport and a consortium of banks.
Drastic measures are reportedly being taken to cut costs including retrenchment of almost half its 50,000 workforce and pruning their network of unprofitable routes.
Once the restructure is complete, Japan Airlines has assured BAC it will be seeking to reinstate the Brisbane – Narita service possibly using Boeing 787 aircraft.
Japan Airlines has ordered a new fleet of Boeing 787 'Dreamliners' the first of which is scheduled for delivery in 2011.
Brisbane Airport says it is working with the industry to develop alternative options for Japanese visitors to be able to access Queensland’s destinations.
