Japan Airlines (JAL) announced today that it will restart flights to Sydney, Australia. The flag carrier of Japan suspended operations to the city earlier this year amid the implications of the global health crises. However, it will be returning to the capital of New South Wales from September.
Heading back down under
According to a press release seen by Simple Flying, JAL will not be offering a return flight on these operations. Instead, there will be a one-way service from both Tokyo Haneda and Narita airports. Each hub will have a weekly flight depart from it. Nonetheless, amid the ever-changing circumstances, all flights are subject to government approval.
Flight JL51 will leave Haneda on Thursdays and could start service as early as September 3rd. The flights will depart at 19:20 and arrive in Australia the next day at 06:10.
Meanwhile, JL771 will leave Narita on Mondays and could start operating as early as September 7th. These trips will also depart at 19:20 and arrive at Sydney Airport the next day at 06:10.
JAL highlights that these Sydney-bound operations will only have a maximum of 30 passengers on each flight. This is because of strict quarantine restrictions in Australia.
Additional resumptions
Along with these Australia resumptions, JAL is also ramping another route heading south from Tokyo. From next month, the airline is increasing its service to three times a week. Currently, the carrier flies to the island city-state from Narita only twice a week. However, there will be another weekly trip from September 1st.
Flight JL711 will leave Narita on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 17:55 to arrive in Singapore Changi Airport at 00:20 the next day. Meanwhile, flight JL712 will head back to Tokyo on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 08:10 to arrive at 16:20.
There will be a suspension to this service on Wednesday, September 2nd. Additionally, on September 30th, JL712 will fly out from Singapore at 6:10 to arrive in Narita at 14:20.
Currently, the carrier operates two roundtrip flights per week between Tokyo Narita and Singapore, but starting September 1st, JAL plans to increase this service to three flights per week. All times mentioned in this article are local.
Progress being made
The JAL Group is glad to be able to welcome back customers on key international flights. These services are gradually returning as airlines and authorities work out a balance amid the tough conditions. Regardless, the company states that it will give its passengers a safe and secure travel experience.
Australia currently has strict measures in place at its airports and borders. Notably, most general travelers are banned from entering the country. According to the Australian government, only Australian citizens, residents, and immediate family members can travel to the nation. However, for those that qualify to enter, they will now be able to fly in from Tokyo.
Simple Flying reached out to Japan Airlines for comment on its flight resumptions but did not hear back before publication. We will update the article with any further announcements.
What are your thoughts about Japan Airlines reinstating flights to Sydney? Do you think that this is a good move for the airline? Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section.
