Happy New Year! 明けましておめでとうございます！
It is new year and few things happening this year in Japan as far as airlines and airports are concerned.
ANA:
Jan. 31: start HND-ARN (Stockholm), 787-8
Feb. 12: start HND-IST, 787-8
March 31: Nippon Cargo Airlines (KZ) will officially become a subsidiary of ANA Holdings.
KZ did start as part of ANA in 1985.
May: Schedule the first delivery of 737-8 MAX. Plan to receive four 737-8 MAX in 2025.
July: Due to the program termination of Mitsubishi SpaceJet (ANA was a launch customer), ANA will acquire 7 used DHC-8-Q400 from LOT Poland.
Virgin Australia (VA):
Feb 24: Suspend CNS-HND, 737-8 MAX. The demand originating in HND is very weak, although CNS origin has a strong demand. The VA’s slot at HND will go to QF.
ZIP AIR:
March 4: start NRT-IAH
KIX and UKB:
March 28: New landing/takeoff pattern at KIX (Kansai) and UKB (Kobe). This will increase landing/takeoff at KIX from the current 45/hr. to 60/hr., and UKB from the current 80/hr. to 120/hr.
Also at UKB, new Terminal 2 will open at UKB in April 18 which will include an international arrival/departure facility. Currently, KE, VJ (VietJet), and JX (StarLux) are showing interest in serving UKB.
FUK:
March 28: Grand opening of the expansion of international terminal at Fukuoka Airport. The international terminal will expand from the current 73,000 square meters to 136,000 square meters. The passenger boarding bridge will increase from the current 6 to 12. To coincide with the grand opening, the passenger service facility charge (paid through airline ticket as a part of the fees) for international departing passengers will increase from the current 980 yen/passenger to 2530 yen/passenger. Also in March, the second runway will start operation at FUK.
HND:
March: The north satellite terminal at Terminal 2 (ANA domestic) will be connected to the main Terminal 2. Currently, passengers departing from the north satellite terminal need to take a bus from the main Terminal 2 after going through the security. There will be new additional three boarding bridge gates at Terminal 2 at this new connector section.
Expansion of Terminal 1 (JAL domestic) is also underway, this is scheduled to be completed in 2026. The expanded area will be north of the current terminal and will add 6 new gates with the boarding bridge.
Toki Air:
The new airline based at Niigata (KIJ) is planning to start three new routes in the summer of 2025: KIJ-UKB (Kobe), KIJ-NRT, and SDS (Sado Island) -NRT.
Toki Air was planning to acquire ATR42-600S which is an STOL (short takeoff and landing) version, but this year ATR has announced that they will terminate the ATR42-600S program. Toki Air will operate SDS using the current ATR42-600 fleet with weight restrictions.
Hawaiian Air:
May 12: start SEA-NRT (A330-200) This is due to Alaska Air acquiring Hawaiian Air and shifting Hawaiian Air aircraft to more profitable routes, SEA is the headquarters of Alaska Air.
United:
May 1: start NRT-UBN (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)
May: start NRT-ROR (Palau)
July 11: NRT-KHH (Taiwan)
United inherited the fifth freedom right from Japan when they acquired the PanAm Pacific operation. However, lately United (also Delta which inherited from Northwest) has not been using fifth freedom rights and operating flights to the U.S. only from Japan.
Mongolia is very interesting. Currently, Mongolian (OM) operates NRT-UBN thrice weekly. But both ANA and JAL have not shown interest in serving Mongolia. Is there enough demand between Mongolia and Japan to warrant a second airline? Also, what is the demand between the U.S. and Mongolia?
JCAS:
October: Delivery of ATR72
JCAS (website in Japanese only) is a new airline based at KIX, planning to start operation in Spring of 2026. Planning to operate KIX-YGJ (Yonago), and TOY (Toyama).
Rumors:
Riyad Air is planning to start operations in the summer of 2025. There is a rumor that Riyad Air is looking at RUH-NRT.
JAL plans to place aircraft orders for regional jet aircraft (domestic operation) in 2025. Rumor has it that Embraer E-2, but also Airbus A220 is being considered.