This week Virgin Australia announced its intention to commence flights from Australia to Japan, by applying to the International Air Services Commission (IASC) for one of the available Australian airline slots into Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
Japan has become a very strong and important market for Australian travellers, growing almost 50% since 2015. Haneda Airport is particular as an entry point to the country because of its convivence and close proximity to Tokyo City.
Virgin Australia's application for one of the slots at Haneda Airport is particularly important to bring new competition to the market and bring more choice to consumers, with lower airfares and more travel options to Japan. The Japanese Government has announced its intention to open up 50 additional daily slots at Tokyo-Haneda airport from the end of March 2020 which will be split equally between Japanese and international carriers.
Virgin Australia is focussed on investing in the right routes that are commercially profitable and believe that introducing Japan to its network will benefit the airline and its travellers as well as the broader tourism industry.