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Today, February 2, 2004, is not only the 50th anniversary of the first Japan
Airlines' international scheduled flight, but also is the 50th anniversary of the first
post-war international scheduled flight operated by any Japanese carrier. It was
on this day, 50 years ago, that that fledgling Japan Airlines - already since
October 1951 flying domestic routes in Japan - took to the world's skies as ''The
Wings of the New Japan''.
To celebrate this double anniversary, JAL has prepared two aircraft with unique
commemorative liveries.
Both aircraft are B747-400s, each one decorated with special life-size Douglas
DC6B 32.5 meter long decals on the 70.7 meter long 747 fuselages, showing the
difference in size between the 1950's 36-seat propeller driven aircraft and the
393-seat wide-bodied 4-engine jet.
JAL's - and Japan's - first international scheduled flight was on February 2, 1954
when a Japan Airlines' Douglas DC-6B four engine propeller-powered airliner
took off from Haneda for San Francisco via Wake Island and Honolulu.
Later today (February 2, 2004) one of the specially decorated aircraft will fly to
Honolulu as a special JAL 747-400 charter flight carrying a group of some 250
JAL retirees, members of the airline's frequent flyer programme and media
guests to commemorate JAL's entry to the skies of the world. The decal carries
the legend: JAL-HAWAII 50th ANNIVERSARY FLIGHT. After the commemorative flight, the aircraft with its special livery will operate on JAL international routes.
On February 5, the second specially decorated 747-400 will commemorate JAL's
first flight to Okinawa, which took place on February 5, 1954. At the time, Okinawa
was still under U.S. occupation and technically this was an international service.
The B747-400, with the DC6B design and the caption: ''First Flight to Okinawa -
February 5 1954'' - will operate as JL933, a scheduled service on the Tokyo-Naha
(Okinawa) route. Okinawa returned to Japanese jurisdiction in 1972. It will
subsequently fly on JAL 's domestic trunk routes.
In JAL's 50th year of international operations the JAL Group serves an
international network extending to 30 countries and territories, 118 airports and
245 routes, carrying last year 12,760,000 passengers.
The JAL Group's Okinawa services now carry around 5 million passengers a
year and make a vital economic and social contribution to island community. |
