Qantas and Virgin Australia have each bagged one of the two prized slots at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport; which is great news for Aussies wanting to explore Japan, a hot 2020 destination.
Australia’s International Air Services Commission (IASC) made the draft decision to award one each to ensure customer choice.
IASC, in its draft, said the Japanese government released 100 extra aircraft arrivals and departures per day at Haneda, aimed solely at international flights.
A final decision by IASC will come sometime after it closes a submission deadline on Oct. 24 about its draft call, according to its statement issued on Monday.
Konnichiwa Haneda
Officially known as Tokyo International Airport, Haneda handles a large number of international flights from all around the world.
Haneda slots are extremely lucrative for airlines and more in demand than those at Tokyo Narita which is much further away from the city; passengers flying into Haneda can pick up their baggage and be in the heart of Tokyo within 30 minutes.
There are a number of ways to get from Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) to Shinjuku. Travellers can take a train, bus, tram, subway, taxi, car, towncar or shuttle.
Virgin Australia, which is trying to raise funds for the full takeover of its frequent flyer program, plans to use its allocated slot to operate a daily service between Brisbane and Haneda from March next year.
Perfect for Aussies heading to the 2020 Olympic Games.
Virgin Australia plans to codeshare with ANA Holdings Inc (9202.T) on flights between Australia and Japan.
Australia’s competition regulator earlier this month had backed Virgin’s application for a slot, citing competition concerns if Qantas were to get both.
A Qantas spokesman said the airline is looking forward to operating more flights to Haneda and will likely be operating the new Qantas Haneda flight from Sydney or Melbourne.
Watch this space for more information.