Japan - Will we ever see nonstop flights between LHR and FUK/KIX?

With Tokyo's airports becoming ever more congested (and still expensive to land at), I wonder when the day will come when airlines such as BA, VS, ANA or JAL may begin to think of a direct, non-stop flight from LHR to Fukuoka or Osaka?

Osaka in particular is well connected to Tokyo by land so it would not be too much of a problem to transit back to the capital on the Shinkansen or other JR services if need be.

The A332 can easily make the journey within range, it's just a question of whether such a route would be profitable for the airlines in question.

As it's "not a problem to transit between London and Paris on rail services if need be" why not get a non stop flight between Paris and KIX?

With Shinkansen prices as they are - yes, it is very much a problem to transit between KIX and Tokyo. Who are you trying to kid?

As it's "not a problem to transit between London and Paris on rail services if need be" why not get a non stop flight between Paris and KIX?

With Shinkansen prices as they are - yes, it is very much a problem to transit between KIX and Tokyo. Who are you trying to kid?

Ok, fair enough.

But then people who want Tokyo can fly direct to NRT then, as normal.

The question remains though, I imagine there must be a market for London-FUK/KIX routes. A handful of European airlines fly to KIX, but direct to Fukuoka seems underused, so I guess if one of these nonstop routes opens up from London then it will be KIX.

And of all airlines, I would imagine it would be BA who initiate it.

There was a JAL LHR-KIX service. We might see that again with the 787

With Tokyo's airports becoming ever more congested (and still expensive to land at).

From what I remember, KIX has even higher landing fees than NRT. That's one of the reasons it didn't take away more business from NRT and become an alternate/replacement regional hub for some carriers to the extent that they expected it to.

From what I remember, KIX has even higher landing fees than NRT. That's one of the reasons it didn't take away more business from NRT and become an alternate/replacement regional hub for some carriers to the extent that they expected it to.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was totally true. From what I have read, every few years they have to shovel a lot of money into the ground under KIX so it doesn't sink!

I wouldn't be surprised if that was totally true. From what I have read, every few years they have to shovel a lot of money into the ground under KIX so it doesn't sink!Perhaps they just can't think of a better use for their Euros.

FUK international terminal needs a lot of improvements..... 5 minute bus ride to get to the domestic terminal or metro station with your bags isn't fun.

KIX: Airport too expensive. No premium demand. Not many connection options to other cities. Plenty of connection options to Europe available through various other Asian, European and Middle Eastern hubs. Easier for people on the north side of Osaka to fly ITM-NRT-[wherever].

IIRC, KIX stopped sinking several years ago, but the construction cost was still enormous and has to be recouped somehow.

FUK: No premium demand. Crappy terminal setup. Plenty of connection options to Europe available through Asian hubs. I'd imagine EK coming into FUK before any European carriers do.

KIX: Airport too expensive. No premium demand. Not many connection options to other cities. Plenty of connection options to Europe available through various other Asian, European and Middle Eastern hubs. Easier for people on the north side of Osaka to fly ITM-NRT-[wherever].

IIRC, KIX stopped sinking several years ago, but the construction cost was still enormous and has to be recouped somehow.

FUK: No premium demand. Crappy terminal setup. Plenty of connection options to Europe available through Asian hubs. I'd imagine EK coming into FUK before any European carriers do. Actually, the Intl. terminal is the newest of all 4 at FUK. Built after they placed the metro statin under the old Intl. terminal. FUK is hampered by lack of space for runway extension and also by the fact that the government sees fit to place it under the Osaka aviation bureau. Need for reform of aviation policy, extension of runway and length of operation day as all flight activity must cease operation between 22:00-0:700 . Still the most convenient "city" airport in Japan to fly from!

And to answer the OP, there was a flight from LHR via ANC and ITM to FUK in the '90s on BA !

During PDX's stint as DL's hub for flights to Asia, there were non-stops to NGO and FUK. The flights to FUK lasted a year or less, because they did not attract business. The only people I knew who took it were those with relatives in Kyushu.

I took the flight to NGO (the older airport, not Centrair) once in 2000 and was surprised to see that Y was full. My seatmate provided a clue about the reason. He was a student from Okayama headed home for summer vacation, and he told me that if he flew into NRT, he had to spend the night in Tokyo, but if he flew into NGO, it was only a short bus ride to Nagoya Station, where he could catch a Shinkansen and be home in time for a late dinner with his family.

During PDX's stint as DL's hub for flights to Asia, there were non-stops to NGO and FUK. The flights to FUK lasted a year or less, because they did not attract business. The only people I knew who took it were those with relatives in Kyushu.

I took the flight to NGO (the older airport, not Centrair) once in 2000 and was surprised to see that Y was full. My seatmate provided a clue about the reason. He was a student from Okayama headed home for summer vacation, and he told me that if he flew into NRT, he had to spend the night in Tokyo, but if he flew into NGO, it was only a short bus ride to Nagoya Station, where he could catch a Shinkansen and be home in time for a late dinner with his family.

I guess he could still fly NRT-NGO on NH/JL and catch the shinkansen. Not sure about the shinkansen schedule though.

I guess he could still fly NRT-NGO on NH/JL and catch the shinkansen. Not sure about the shinkansen schedule though.

Since he graduated at least ten years ago, I don't know where he is or what his current arrangements are.

I took the flight to NGO (the older airport, not Centrair) once in 2000 and was surprised to see that Y was full.
Ah the bus stop formerly known as NGO ... I used it once. I was so surprised to see that Varig flew there direct flight from GRU.

Ah the bus stop formerly known as NGO ... I used it once. I was so surprised to see that Varig flew there direct flight from GRU.
Not to mention CP to YVR........that was the easiest flight to upgrade on:p!

During PDX's stint as DL's hub for flights to Asia, there were non-stops to NGO and FUK. The flights to FUK lasted a year or less, because they did not attract business. The only people I knew who took it were those with relatives in Kyushu.

I took the flight to NGO (the older airport, not Centrair) once in 2000 and was surprised to see that Y was full. My seatmate provided a clue about the reason. He was a student from Okayama headed home for summer vacation, and he told me that if he flew into NRT, he had to spend the night in Tokyo, but if he flew into NGO, it was only a short bus ride to Nagoya Station, where he could catch a Shinkansen and be home in time for a late dinner with his family. Of course you forgot the documented difficulties that any non-white, Non-American had with the former INS at PDX......

Of course you forgot the documented difficulties that any non-white, Non-American had with the former INS at PDX......

Oh yes, there were some real horror stories that were covered only in the Asian-American press: for example, Asians being deported because the INS agents didn't even try to verify their stories. (In one case, a Korean engineer was going to troubleshoot at his company's U.S. plant, and the INS agents refused to phone the company to ask about him. In another, an elderly Taiwanese woman would have been deported for "refusing" to answer the agents' questions--she didn't speak English, and they had no Chinese interpreter onsite--if her son, whom she was going to visit, hadn't broken through the lines to find out what the holdup was. A recent high school graduate from Japan was deported upon arrival because in her poor English--again, no interpreter used--she gave the impression that she was going to work illegally as a nanny, but she was actually going to visit her sister, who was about to have a baby. A Chinese businesswoman was jailed overnight and deported because the INS agent thought her passport "looked too well used." Imagine, up to three flights arriving from Asia every day, and they had no interpreters onsite.)

There was no mainstream coverage until a European woman was summarily deported away from her husband and nursing infant (who didn't yet have a passport) after having made an honest mistake with respect to her status.

Only then did heads roll at the Portland INS office.

IIRC JL, NH, and BA have all flown LHR-KIX, with JL being the last to drop it (only 3 or 4 years ago).

A lot of people choose to avoid Tokyo and save money by using KE or OZ.

IIRC JL, NH, and BA have all flown LHR-KIX, with JL being the last to drop it (only 3 or 4 years ago).

A lot of people choose to avoid Tokyo and save money by using KE or OZ.

LHR - KIX on JAL was my preferred longhaul flight to Asia through the 1990's. Very fond memories of that.

ICN and also HKG are indeed rather tempting alternatives for residents of West and South Japan as an option to Narita.

ICN and also HKG are indeed rather tempting alternatives for residents of West and South Japan as an alternative to Narita.

KE/OZ and CX?

KE/OZ and CX?

Yes....not to mention those of us that have used SQ,TG,MH, CI via their hubs as alternatives to NRT.

CI
:eek:

:eek: :o Took one for the gipper !