Marking a historic moment for aviation in the Middle East, Japan Airlines’ inaugural flight linking Doha’s Hamad International airport with Tokyo Haneda airport was launched this week.
The inaugural flight, operated on 31 March 2024 by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft with a capacity of 203 seats, marks the first-ever flight to the Middle East by a Japanese airline.
Commenting on this notable partnership, Sujata Suri, senior vice president of finance and procurement at Hamad International airport, said: “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 per cent increase in weekly flight frequency between Qatar and Japan, which underscores Hamad International airport’s commitment to advancing global travel and enhancing passenger experiences”.
The new Japan Airlines flight, operated as a codeshare with Qatar Airways, a fellow oneworld member, will enable customers to seamlessly connect to Africa, Europe, and South America through the award-winning airport.
“Our new Doha service is the first direct flight to the Middle East operated by a Japanese airline. It perfectly complements JAL’s global network and enables customers to seamlessly connect to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America through our partnership with Qatar Airways, a member of the same oneworld alliance as JAL,” said Ross Leggett, Japan Airlines’ managing executive officer and route marketing senior vice president. “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.
The flight, which has a two-class configuration, offers both Economy and Business class seats, with the latter fitted with staggered fully-flat JAL SKY SUITE III seats.
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.”
The introduction of Japan Airlines’ direct flights to Doha is expected to stimulate travel demand and foster stronger trade ties between Qatar and Japan. In 2023, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) launched a “Japan Travel House” in Qatar, to help provide more information on tourism in the country, and encourage the ease and feasibility of GCC residents’ visits to the country. The new flight service aims to promote increased cultural exchange and economic collaboration, benefiting passengers and industries alike.
