Japan Airlines took delivery of it’s first ever Airbus aircraft on Thursday (June 13, 2019). The delivery ceremony of the A350 was held at the Airbus Factory in Toulouse, France. The A350-900 registered JAO1XJ, is the first of 31 Airbus A350 XWB’s that JAL ordered in 2013; Out of which 18 were -900 variants and 13 were the larger -1000 variant. The delivery event, which marked a milestone for both Airbus and JAL, was attended by JAL’s Representative Director and Chairman Yoshiharu Ueki and the Airbus Cheif Commercial Officer Christian Scherer.
A factor enhancing the occasion is that the brand new long haul airliner will be flying domestic routes in a 3 class configuration, a rarity for the aircraft type. Flights shall start from September 2019 on the Tokyo Haneda-Fukuoka route. Japan Airlines plans to give their customers a great experience onboard the domestic flights, targeting the flights specifically to those passengers that will be in Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympics being held in Tokyo – Such passengers who will definitely be sseking competitive carriers to connect them on various domestic destinations during sightseeing and watching games at the various venues dotted around the country.
The aircraft will have a full 3 class configuration (First, Business, Economy), allowing a total of 369 passengers (263 in Economy with 3-3-3 layout, 94 in J/Business Class seats in a 2-4-2 layout and 12 First Class seats in a 2-2-2 layout.).The configuration aims to give passengers flying on domestic routes the best experience in the air, regardless of the class they fly. The A350’s fuel efficiency will be helpful to the carrier, as they strive to cut costs on domestic routes whilst aiming to carry more passengers; This all comes with the push for airlines to meet strict international environment standards also. All seats on the aircraft are expected to have IFE screens, power outlets, and USB ports for device charging. Further details of the cabin are to be revealed in Tokyo on June 20th, one week after the delivery of the aircraft. Travel Radar Media is looking forward to travelling to Tokyo for the launch! The inaugural flight will be on September 1st, 2019 on the Tokyo-Fukuoka route, followed by the addition of flights to other cities such as Sapporo, Okinawa, and Osaka.
Are you excited for the aircraft? Are you attending the 2020 Olympics and if so, what’s your thought on A350’s on domestic routes? Get in touch
