Press Release
Japan Airlines Begins Nonstop Service between Doha and Tokyo
Doha, Qatar - Japan Airlines (JAL) today celebrated its launch of nonstop service between Doha – Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND). This is the first Japanese airline to operate nonstop service to and from the Middle East and is a code-share service with a fellow oneworld® alliance member Qatar Airways. The latest route will enable customers to seamlessly connect to Europe, Middle East, Africa and South America through its partnership with Qatar Airways.
The first flight, JL059, departed HND with a nearly full load of passengers on Japan Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The flight landed at DOH this morning on schedule and was welcomed by a water cannon salute. On arrival at DOH, Hamad International Airport together with Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines held a ceremony, which featured a programme including ribbon cutting with local dignitaries.
Commenting on this historic route launch, Ross Leggett, Japan Airlines Managing Executive Officer, Route Marketing Senior Vice President said: “Our new Doha service is the first direct flight from the Middle East operated by a Japanese airline. It perfectly complements JAL’s global network and enables customers to seamlessly connect from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America through our partnership with Qatar Airways, a member of the same oneworld alliance as JAL, “The demand for business and leisure travel from Doha to Asia continues to grow, and we are excited to offer JAL’s renowned five-star service and unique approach to hospitality to even more travellers,” Leggett added.
"We are thrilled to welcome Japan Airlines to the Middle East through its renowned hub in Doha. The launch of Japan Airlines’ daily flights from Tokyo Haneda to Hamad International Airport is a landmark achievement and a testament to the flourishing partnership between both Qatar and Japan. Combining Japan Airlines’ latest launch with Qatar Airways’ recent resumption to Osaka, is projected to result in a 50% increase in weekly flight frequency between Qatar and Japan, which underscores Hamad International Airport’s commitment to advancing global travel and enhancing passenger experiences” said Sujata Suri, Senior Vice President of Finance and Procurement at Hamad International Airport.
Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori said: “We are very pleased to welcome our oneworld partner Japan Airlines to Doha and look forward to further building our successful relationship for the worldwide customers flying from and to Japan and North Asia. It is wonderful to see how our strategy to leverage Hamad International Airport’s position as a global five-star rated hub, continues to yield results and we hope to continue to attract even more partner airlines to this major gateway and stopover destination in the future.”
Japan Airlines’ DOH-HND nonstop service will operate daily with the airline’s JAL SKY SUITE 787 (Boeing 787-9) aircraft. The two-class configuration includes 52 award-winning JAL SKY SUITE Ⅲ fully flat seats in JAL Business Class, and 151 JAL SKY WIDER seats, which have also won industry awards, in JAL Economy Class. JAL’s latest inflight entertainment system, Magic-VI, is available throughout the aircraft, with touchscreen monitors fitted at every seat. Aircraft are also equipped with Inflight Wi-Fi (fee based).
The JAL Group will continue to embrace new challenges to deliver greater customer convenience, enhance its networks, and improve the quality of its products and services.
Doha - Haneda Flight Schedule (Effective from March 31, 2024, until October 26, 2024)
About Japan Airlines:
Japan Airlines (JAL), Japan’s first private aviation company, was established in 1951 and is a member of the oneworld® Alliance. The airline operates a fleet of 226 aircraft and began renewing its international long-haul aircraft with the Airbus A350-1000 starting 2023 Winter Schedule. Together with other JAL Group and partner airlines, JAL offers an extensive domestic and international network that serves 376 airports across 64 countries/regions. The airline has received numerous accolades for its exceptional service, including being recognized as a certified 5-Star Airline by Skytrax and being awarded the prestigious “World Class” Airline title by APEX, the Airline Passenger Experience Association. JAL takes great pride in its on-time performance and is regarded as one of the most punctual airlines globally. The airline is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of flight safety and overall service quality, striving to be the most preferred airline by customers worldwide. The JAL Group recognizes that action to address climate change is a particularly important issue for the sustainability of society, and in June 2020, the group announced its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
For details and to learn more, visit JAL’s official website at https://www.jal.com/en/.
About Hamad International Airport:
Designed to meet and exceed the expectations of global travellers, Hamad International Airport is a diverse lifestyle destination of its own. Housed in one expansive terminal, the airport integrates contemporary shopping and dining options, entertainment and relaxation facilities, and a world-class art collection from internationally acclaimed artists.
Hamad International Airport’s excellence and commitment to passenger service led to the airport receiving the titles of” World’s Best Airport” for 2021 and 2022, “World’s Second-Best Airport” for 2023, “Best Airport 15 to 20 Million Passengers”, “World’s Best Airport for Shopping” 2023, “Cleanest Airport in the Middle East” 2023 and “Best Airport in the Middle East” for the 9th consecutive year at the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2023.
Hamad International Airport has successfully completed the first Phase of its airport expansion project, which has significantly increased capacity and enhanced its multi-dimensional offering. Delivering on its promise to be the ‘airport-of-the-future’, Hamad International Airport’s expansion features a refreshing environment of lush greenery, as well as contemporary retail and dining concepts among other leisure attractions and facilities.
The airport’s commercial and operation functions are managed by MATAR, the Qatar Company for Airports Management and Operation, and a corporate subsidiary of Qatar Airways Group.
Hamad International Airport is a candidate for World’s Best Airport at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024. For more information, visit Hamad International Airport’s website www.dohahamadairport.com and follow the airport’s latest news on Hamad International Airport’s social media channels:
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