Australian Airlines to fly between Tokyo, Japan and Cairns, Australia

Australian Airlines is to commence double daily services between Tokyo and Cairns from mid-2006, as Qantas withdraws from the route.

As a result of these changes, the Qantas Group will offer more than 500 additional seats each week between Tokyo and Cairns. 

Australian Airlines Chief Executive Andrea Staines said the addition of the Tokyo to Cairns services would complement the airline’s existing network of holiday routes.

Ms Staines said that as a full-service international leisure carrier, Australian Airlines was well suited to cater for the needs of travellers between Tokyo and Cairns, the majority of whom were holidaymakers.

“With 14 weekly services between Tokyo and Cairns, Australian Airlines will offer almost double its current number of services between Japan and Australia.

“This represents a major expansion of services from our most important inbound visitor market, with Japanese travellers accounting for more than half of all passengers on our flights. We will take delivery of a sixth Boeing 767-300 in mid-2006 to accommodate this extra flying.

“Australian Airlines also operates non-stop services to Cairns from the Japanese cities of Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo – and is the only airline to do so.”

Ms Staines said that as part of these schedule changes, and due to a lack of demand, Australian Airlines would suspend its thrice-weekly service between Cairns and Fukuoka from the end of March.

Australian Airlines flights from Tokyo will operate non-stop to Cairns with connections to the rest of Australia on Australian Airlines, Qantas and Jetstar.

It is planned that the existing codeshare arrangement with Japan Airlines on Qantas-operated services between Cairns and Tokyo will continue uninterrupted when Australian Airlines commences operating on the route mid-2006. Qantas also intends to codeshare on these services to facilitate selling on the route.

These new arrangements on the route are subject to government approval.

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