According to an announcement made on August 2 by Air Japan Co., an affiliate of ANA Holdings Inc., flights between Chiba Prefecture’s Narita Airport and Bangkok will begin operating on February 9 of next year.
Fares will begin at 15,500 yen ($108) one-way, much like a low-cost carrier.
The airline wants to draw visitors from Southeast Asia.
While the seat pitch and reclining capabilities are comparable to those of All Nippon Airways, the cost of travel has decreased thanks to the removal of fuel taxes and the collection of separate fees for seat selection, checked baggage, and in-flight meals.
The price range for the thirteen different varieties of in-flight meals, which include Japanese boxed lunches, is between 800 and 2,000 yen.
In order to draw in families, the airline will set a fixed fare of 5,000 yen for children under 2 who do not require a seat and 8,000 yen for kids under the age of 6.
Starting with six flights per week, the service will link Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Terminal 1 of Narita Airport.
In the upcoming fiscal year, beginning in April 2024, daily flights are expected to start.
Around May 2024, the airline announced it would begin service on additional routes.
In order to strengthen our position in Asia, we intend to develop lines to both airports, said Hideki Mineguchi, president of Air Japan. “We are considering Kansai International Airport as an option,” he added.
The performance of Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) subsidiary Zipair Tokyo Inc. has been excellent. It started operating as a low-cost carrier in 2020.
Eight routes to the United States and Asia were introduced by the low-cost carrier, with fares that were almost 50% lower than JAL’s.
The Narita-Honolulu route is among them and is attracting the recovering demand for international travel.
The customary three flights per week have been raised to four to seven flights over the summer vacation season from July 28 to August 25, which are nearly fully booked.
