JAL Group route and fleet plans for FY 2003

The new JAL Group, currently involved in the merger of Japan Airlines and Japan Air System (JAS), includes further stages of the integration of the two carriers in the group's route network and fleet plans for the year beginning April 2003.

The plan is aimed at maximum utilization of the group's fleet of 279 aircraft reflecting demand trends, cost effectiveness and customer convenience.

DOMESTIC

Ending route duplication and setting a more evenly spaced spread of flight departures for customer convenience, especially out of the main domestic hub of Haneda Airport, Tokyo, are basic points of the new FY2003 domestic network plan for JAL and JAS. Allocation of the appropriate aircraft type to each route is based on matching demand and capacity.

On trunk routes, the setting of departure times has been better coordinated to suit customer requirements and the JAL Group will offer the highest number of frequencies on routes out of Tokyo to Sapporo (21 daily round trip flights), Tokyo-Fukuoka (20 daily round trip flights) and Tokyo- Osaka (Itami) Airport (15 round trip flights daily). Flights on trunk routes will also operate at more regular intervals.

To achieve maximum fleet utilization the JAL Group is expanding the regional network by opening a number of new routes and expanding frequency on some existing routes.

Many regional routes once shared by JAL and JAS are being transferred to sole JAS operation while JAL's main emphasis is on trunk route operations. JAL Group lower-cost subsidiary airlines, such as JAL Express, J-AIR and  Japan Air Commuter have also been allocated a greater role in regional operations.

NEW REGIONAL ROUTES

Haneda-Yamagata JAS MD 1 r/t daily 2003 April
Osaka-Memambetsu JAS MD 1 r/t daily 2003 April
Sapporo-Niigata JAS MD 1 r/t daily 2003 April
Fukuoka-Niigata JAS MD 1 r/t daily 2003 April
Key to abbreviations: JAL=Japan Airlines, JAS=Japan Air System, J-AIR=a JAL group commuter, JEX=JAL Express - a JAL subsidiary, JTA=JAL group subsidiary Japan TransOcean Air, JAC=JAS group subsidiary Japan Air Commuter.

MAJOR DOMESTIC ROUTE CHANGES - Based on HANEDA AIRPORT (TOKYO)

As at March 2003 From April 2003
Route Operator Total flightsPer day Operator Frequency daily
Haneda-Sapporo JAL & JAS 24 JAL* 21
Haneda-Itami (Osaka) JAL & JAS 14 JAL* 15
Haneda-Kansai JAL & JAS 7 JAL 7
Haneda-Fukuoka JAL & JAS 23 JAL 20
Haneda-Okinawa JAL, JAS, JTA 13 JAL, JTA 11
Haneda-Asahikawa JAS 4 JAS 5
Haneda-Hakodate JAL 3 JAL 4
Haneda-Akita JAL 3 JAS 4
Haneda-Komatsu JAL & JAS 6 JAL 6
Haneda-Hiroshima JAL & JAS 9 JAS 9
Haneda-Kochi JAL & JAS 4 JAS 4
Haneda-Matsuyama JAL 3 JAL 4
Haneda-Oita JAL & JAS 6 JAS 6
Haneda-Nagasaki JAL & JAS 7 JAS 6
Haneda-Kumamoto JAL & JAS 8 JAS 7
Haneda-Miyazaki JAL & JAS 4 JAS 4
Haneda-Kagoshima JAL & JAS 8 JAS 7
*Some flights will be operated by JAS aircraft and crew but with JAL flight numbers

Based on ITAMI AIRPORT (OSAKA)

As at March 2003 From April 2003
Route Operator Total flightsPer day Operator Frequency daily
Itami-Sapporo JAL,JAS, J-AIR 7 JAL 5 (*)
Itami-Fukuoka JAL & JAS 4 JAL 4
Itami-Okinawa JAL & JAS 2 JAL 3
Itami-Yamagata JAS 2 J-AIR 3 (**)
Itami-Sendai JAS, JEX 5 JEX 5
Itami-Matsumoto JAS 1 JAC 1
Itami-Matsuyama JAS, JAC 4 JEX, JAC 3
Itami-Oita JEX 1 JEX 2
Itami-Nagasaki JAS, JEX 3 JAS 3
Itami-Kumamoto JAS, JEX 4 JAS 4
Itami-Miyazaki JAS, JEX 3 JAS 3
Itami-Kagoshima JAS, JEX 6 JAS 6
*6 daily from June. **4 daily from June

OTHER DOMESTIC ROUTES

As at March 2003 From April 2003
Route Operator Total flightsPer day Operator Frequency daily
Sapporo-Sendai JAL 2 JEX 4
Nagoya-Sapporo JAL & JAS 6 JAL 7
Nagoya-Fukuoka JAL 4 JAL 5
Nagoya-Kagoshima JAL 2 JEX 3 
Fukuoka-Sapporo JAL, JAS 3 JAS** 3
Fukuoka-Okinawa JAL.JTA 4 JAL, JTA 5
**Some flights may be operated by JAL aircraft and crew but with JAS flight numbers.

JAL GROUP-INTERNATIONAL ROUTES CHANGES FY2003/01/24

The main focus on international route planning is focused on China route expansion, reflecting increasing demand. The JAL/JAS China route code-share which started on January 10 this year will continue.

Group airlines: JAL, JAS, Japan Asia Airways (JAA), JALways

1. JAPAN-EUROPE (JAL)

Tokyo-London increase From 12 to 13 weekly May
Tokyo-Milan decrease From 5 to 4 weekly April

2. JAPAN-S.E.ASIA (JAL)

Fukuoka-Okinawa-Hong Kong amend End service to Okinawa April
Nagoya-Manila schedule New afternoon departure April
Tokyo-Hanoi increase From 2 to 3 per week April

3. JAPAN-CHINA (JAL, JAS)

Tokyo-Shanghai none JAL/JAS code share, 21 flights p.w. No change
Nagoya-Beijing increase From 3 to 5 flights per week April
Fukuoka-Shanghai increase From 5 to 7 flights per week (daily) April
Tokyo-Qingdao decrease From 4 to 3 flights per week April
Nagoya-Tianjin increase From 1 to 2 flights per week April
Osaka-Guangzhou resume 2 flights per week April
Tokyo-Kumming suspend Was 2 flights per week, see Osaka April
Osaka-Kumming resume 2 flights per week April

4. JAPAN-KOREA (JAL,JAS)

Tokyo-Seoul decrease JAS to suspend 14 weekly flights JAL maintains 21 flights per week May
Nagoya-Pusan increase From 3 to 4 flights per week April

5. JAPAN-GUAM (JALways)

Nagoya-Guam schedule From a.m. to afternoon departure April

6. JAPAN-TAIWAN (JAA)

Tokyo-Taipei increase From 23 to 24 flights weekly April
Osaka-Taipei Frequency& capacity From 21 to 14 flights weekly. Change of aircraft from 767 to 747 throughout April
Taipei-Hong Kong Frequency& capacity From 7 flights weekly to 6. Change of aircraft from 767 to 747 throughout April

JAL GROUP INTERNATIONAL CARGO OPERATIONS

Present freighter operations will be maintained and from April JAL will start a new once weekly round trip 747-200F all-cargo flight between Tokyo and Xiamen (Amoy), China. Freighter stopovers at Amsterdam will increase from two to three per week with a new Amsterdam stopover on the Tokyo-Paris route.

FLEET PLAN

During the year starting April 2003, the JAL Group plans the retirement of 16 aircraft and the delivery of 14 replacements, to a total fleet strength of 279 aircraft (this total of JAL and JAS group fleets does not include the JTA subsidiary Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC) fleet).