JAL's Boeing 787-9 enters service.

On July 1st, Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] inaugurated Boeing 787-9 operations with Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] – Jakarta/Soukarno-Hatta [CGK/WIII] becoming its first route. The first revenue flight was JL725, which departed Narita's Spot 91 at 1051 JST. Their first stretched Dreamliner had been delivered on June 11th (JAL takes delivery of first Boeing 787-9.).

Boeing 787-9 JA861J moments before rotation from Narita's Runway 16R for her first revenue flight bound for Jakarta wearing JAL Sky Suite 787 decals. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Boasting a 6.1-meter-longer fuselage compared to the shorter 787-8, JAL's 787-9 seats 34 additional passengers in a three-class layout of JAL's award-winning Sky Suite product (JAL's Sky Suite 787 makes debut.); 44 Sky Suite (business), 35 Sky Premium (premium economy), and 116 Sky Wider II (economy) seats, totaling 195. It will be placed on medium and long-haul international routes.

JAL has ordered 25 787-8s and 20 787-9s, of which 22 and one have been delivered, respectively. During FY2015, Japan's second largest carrier will take delivery of two more 787-9s, with one each arriving in October and February, and one 787-8, arriving in December. All are deployed on international routes.

Source: Aviation Wire, July 1st. (in Japanese)

JAL Boeing 787-9 due in July; expands Sky Suite cities.

Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] will place its first Boeing 787-9 in service on the Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] – Jakarta/Soukarno-Hatta [CGK/WIII] route in July. The stretched variant of the Dreamliner will boast JAL's latest Sky Suite product with a generous layout of only 195 seats; 44 fully lie-flat Sky Suite (business class) seats, 35 Sky Premium (premium economy), and 116 Sky Wider II (economy class).

Boeing 777-346/ER JA736J on final approach to Narita. JAL has completed reconfiguring all 13 flagship 777-300ERs with the Sky Suite product. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The 787-9s will basically have the same seats as the Sky Suite-configured 787-8s, the first of which entered service on the Narita – Frankfurt/Main [FRA/EDDF] route on December 1st (JAL's Sky Suite 787 makes debut.). The Sky Suite 787-8s also seat only 161, which includes 38 Sky Suite, 35 Sky Premium, and 88 Sky Wider II seats.

Meanwhile, Japan's second largest carrier is expanding Sky Suite destinations during the Summer 2015 timetable. New routes to receive the Sky Suite 787 are from Narita to Delhi/Indira Gandhi [DEL/VIDP] from March 29th, Helsinki/Vantaa [HEL/EFHK] from June 1st, and to Paris/Charles de Gaulle [CDG/LFPG] from March 29th. The Sky Suite 767 will be expanded to include Honolulu [HNL/PHNL] and Manila/Ninoy Aquino [MNL/RPLL] from Narita on March 29th.

Aimed at evoking a one-class higher feel, JAL's award-winning Sky Suite product is now available on 13 777-300ERs, four 787-8s, and nine 767-300ERs. The first Sky Suite 777 entered service on Narita – London/Heathrow [LHR/EGLL] in January 2013, and the Sky Suite 767 followed on the Narita – Vancouver [YVR/CYVR] route in December that year. In the new configuration, the 777-300ER seats eight in first, 49 in business, 40 in premium economy, and 135 in economy (232 total), and the 767-300ER seats 24 in business and 175 in economy (199 total).

Source: Japan Airlines, January 21st. (in Japanese)
Source: Japan Airlines, January 21st. (in Japanese)

JAL to increase Narita - Jakarta to double daily.

Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) will add a second daily round-trip on the Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) - Jakarta/Soukarno-Hatta (CGK/WIII) route from June 13th. The new flight will operate at evening hours from Narita and morning hours from Jakarta. JAL's refurbished 199-seat (24 business, 175 economy) Boeing 767-300ERs, branded 'Sky Suite 767', will serve the route (JAL adding more Sky Suite destinations.).

Boeing 767-346/ER JA601J at Honolulu. Being the first of the extended-range version for JAL, it will likely be converted to domestic configuration and not refurbished with the new 'Sky Suite 767' interior. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Flight schedule:
Narita - Jakarta from 1 to 2 daily with 77W/76W.
JL725 NRT 1050 – 1635 CGK 77W Daily
JL729 NRT 1855 – 0100(+1) CGK 76W Daily *NEW from June 13th.
JL720 CGK 0630 – 1600 NRT 76W Daily *NEW from June 14th.
JL726 CGK 2155 – 0725(+1) NRT 77W Daily

Archrival All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) also added a second daily Tokyo - Jakarta flight on March 30th (ANA's Summer 2014 international expansion.), but from more convenient Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT), while their first still originates in Narita. Garuda Indonesia (GA/GIA), which started code-sharing with ANA on March 30th, operates a daily B777-300ER service from the Indonesian capital to Narita, while Haneda will be launched on June 16th with Airbus A330-300s.

Source: Aviation Wire, April 8th. (in Japanese)

ANA's Summer 2014 international expansion.

Here's a review of All Nippon Airways' (NH/ANA) timetable changes for international routes from Summer 2014, which started on March 30th. Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) sees international operations being expanded dramatically, resulting from ANA's receiving of 11 prized slots for international routes at the heavily-regulated airport near downtown Tokyo.

Boeing 777-281 JA711A in Star Alliance livery taxies at Haneda. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

New Routes/Resumptions:
Haneda - Hanoi/Noi Bai (HAN/VVNB) NEW 1 daily with 76W/763.
NH857 HND 0855 – 1205 HAN 76W/763 Daily *788 from June 1st.
NH858 HAN 1400 – 2105 HND 76W/763 Daily *788 from June 1st.

Haneda - Jakarta/Soekarno-Hatta (CGK/WIII) NEW 1 daily with 788.
NH855 HND 1005 – 1540 CGK 788 Daily
NH856 CGK 2125 – 0710(+1) HND 788 Daily

Haneda - London/Heathrow (LHR/EGLL) NEW 1 daily with 77W.
NH277 HND 1130 – 1600 LHR 77W Daily
NH278 LHR 1935 – 1515(+1) HND 77W Daily

Haneda - Manila/Ninoy Aquino (MNL/RPLL) NEW 1 daily with 76W/763.
NH869 HND 0955 – 1330 MNL 76W/763 Daily *788 from May 1st.
NH870 MNL 1440 – 1955 HND 76W/763 Daily *788 from May 1st.

Haneda - Munich (MUC/EDDM) NEW 1 daily with 788.
NH275 HND 1235 – 1720 MUC 788 Daily
NH276 MUC 2125 – 1550(+1) HND 788 Daily

Haneda - Paris/Charles de Gaulle (CDG/LFPG) NEW 1 daily with 77W.
NH215 HND 1025 – 1545 CDG 77W Daily
NH216 CDG 2110 – 1600(+1) HND 77W Daily

Haneda - Vancouver (YVR/CYVR) NEW 1 daily with 76W/763.
NH116 HND 2155 – 1455 YVR 76W/763 Daily
NH115 YVR 1655 – 1905(+1) HND 76W/763 Daily

Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) - Dusseldorf (DUS/EDDL) NEW 1 daily with 788.
NH941 NRT 1100 – 1600 DUS 788 Daily
NH942 DUS 1835 – 1300(+1) NRT 788 Daily

Frequency Increases:
Haneda - Bangkok/Suvarnabhumi (BKK/VTBS) from 1 to 2 daily.
NH849 HND 0025 – 0500 BKK 772 Daily *788 from August 1st.
NH847 HND 1050 – 1525 BKK 76W/763 Daily *NEW. 788 from July 1st.
NH848 BKK 1025 – 1845 HND 772 Daily *NEW. 788 from August 1st.
NH850 BKK 2225 – 0640(+1) HND 76W/763 Daily *788 from July 1st.

Haneda - Frankfurt/Main (FRA/EDDF) from 1 to 2 daily.
NH203 HND 0100 – 0610 FRA 788 Daily
NH223 HND 1125 – 1635 FRA 77W Daily *NEW
NH204 FRA 1200 – 0625(+1) HND 788 Daily
NH224 FRA 2045 – 1455(+1) HND 77W Daily *NEW

Haneda - Singapore/Changi (SIN/WSSS) from 1 to 2 daily.
NH841 HND 1105 – 1720 SIN 788 Daily *NEW
NH843 HND 2350 – 0615(+1) SIN 788 Daily
NH842 SIN 1150 – 2000 HND 788 Daily *NEW
NH844 SIN 2215 – 0630(+1) HND 788 Daily

Schedule Changes:
Haneda - Seoul/Gimpo (GMP/RKSS) schedule adjustments and equipment changes.
NH1161 HND 0850 – 1115 GMP 772 Daily
NH1165 HND 1620 – 1845 GMP 772 Daily
NH1167 HND 2005 – 2225 GMP 77W Daily
NH1160 GMP 0740 – 0950 HND 77W Daily
NH1162 GMP 1235 – 1440 HND 772 Daily
NH1166 GMP 2005 – 2215 HND 772 Daily

Frequency Reductions:
Narita - Bangkok/Suvarnabhumi from 2 to 1 daily. 
Narita- Singapore/Changi from 2 to 1 daily.

Suspensions:
Narita - Frankfurt/Main.
Narita - London/Heathrow. 
Narita - Munich.

In summary, five of the awarded slots at Haneda are being used to shift services from Narita, and five are for new services, while one new slot to China remains unused due to regulatory issues on the Chinese side. Together with joint-venture and Star Alliance partner Deutsche Lufthansa (LH/DLH), the two airlines will control nearly 90% of the non-stop Japan - Germany market capacity-wise.

For Japan Airlines' (JL/JAL) international flight changes from March 30th, please see our past 'JAL announces Summer 2014 international plans.' post.

Source: All Nippon Airways, December 9th. (in Japanese)
Source: All Nippon Airways, December 18th. (in Japanese)

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