US Department of Transportation awards four routes at Tokyo Haneda Airport
US Department of Transportation awarded (06-Jul-2010) four routes to Tokyo Haneda Airport to American Airlines at New York, Delta Air Lines at Los Angeles and Detroit, and Hawaiian Airlines at Honolulu, with service to commence when the airport's fourth runway becomes operational later this year. Also applying for Haneda slots were Continental Airlines, Continental Micronesia and United Airlines. The approval makes final the tentative decision of 07-May-2010. The route applications were made possible due to the US-Japan Open-Skies agreement which was concluded in Dec-2009, permitting US carriers to introduce four daily round-trip services at Haneda. Previously, US carriers serving Tokyo had been limited to using Tokyo Narita Airport. The selected carriers will be required to begin Haneda operations by 29-Jan-2011. [more - DoT]
Details include:
- American Airlines will operate daily, year-round, nonstop service between New York JKF Airport and Tokyo Haneda, with the new services to complement the twice daily services that oneworld partner, Japan Airlines, plans to operate between Tokyo Haneda and the US - see Route Changes Table for more information. This will give ineworld the most daily nonstop US-Haneda flights of any aviation alliance; [more - American Airlines]
- Delta Air Lines: Will operate daily, year-round nonstop service between Detroit and Los Angeles and Tokyo Haneda, with both routes to be operated with daily frequency. With its new flights , Delta will serve the largest mainland US-Tokyo market, with the services to complement the airline's existing service at Tokyo Narita (Delta currently offers flights between Narita and 11 US cities). Scheduled details of the new services will be announced at a later date; [more - Delta]
- Hawaiian Airlines described the approval of daily Honolulu-Haneda services as a "major step" in its expansion into Asia - see Route Changes Table for more information. Hawaiian's first-ever commercial service to Japan is scheduled to commence on 31-Oct-2010 and will add approximately 100,000 new air seats p/a to Hawaii from its second-largest tourism market. Hawaiian will initially serve Haneda with B767-300ER aircraft seating up to 264 passengers, before introducing its new 294-seat A330-200 aircraft onto the route. [more - Hawaiian Airlines]
US Department of Transportation: "In its final decision, the Department said selecting Hawaiian Airlines, which currently does not serve Japan, will add a new competitor to the US-Tokyo market. Delta's flight from Los Angeles would serve the largest west coast and mainland US market to Tokyo. Delta's flight from its Detroit hub will provide Haneda access to a broad area in the central and eastern United States. American's New York flight will serve the second largest mainland US-Tokyo market and will also promote competition among several major airline alliances," Company Statement, 06-Jul-2010.
American Airlines: "We are excited about beginning to fly between New York and Tokyo (Haneda), the closest airport to downtown Tokyo, which hasn't had service from the US since 1978 when Tokyo's Narita International Airport opened," Will Ris, Senior VP Government Affairs. Source: Company Statement, 06-Jul-2010.
American Airlines: "The new service will strengthen our relationship with our oneworld partner, Japan Airlines, which has extensive operations at Haneda, and benefit our respective customers as oneworld will offer more daily frequencies between the U.S. and Haneda than any other alliance. With almost 70 million annual passengers, Haneda is the busiest airport in Asia, and the fourth busiest airport in the world. We look forward to working more closely with Japan Airlines at its Haneda facilities," Craig Kreeger, Senior VP International. Source: Company Statement, 06-Jul-2010.
Japan Airlines: "We congratulate American Airlines on gaining the rights. The allocation of frequencies from the US DOT is a clear endorsement of the benefits that customers can expect with the commencement of the New York to Haneda route by American Airlines. JAL will initiate service to San Francisco and Honolulu from Haneda this autumn and we look forward to leveraging on the collective synergy that both oneworld members can create at one of the most strategic airports in a region of growth. This will significantly heighten competition with the other alliances and thereby deliver a host of benefits to consumers," Tsutomu Ando, Executive Officer of International Affairs. Source: American Airlines' Company Statement, 06-Jul-2010.