JAL May Scrap Kansai-Heathrow Flights By March

Tokyo, July 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan Airlines is considering abolishing flights between Kansai International Airport in western Japan’s Osaka Prefecture and Heathrow Airport in London by March 2009, it was learned Thursday.

The move is part of the company’s plan to streamline its flight operations in response to surging fuel costs, the sources said.

JAL currently operates a round-trip flight a day between Kansai and Heathrow. The service has suffered low profitability due to weak demand from business users.

The withdrawal of JAL will leave no long-distance international flights offered by Japanese air carriers at Kansai International Airport. All Nippon Airways already terminated its flights between Kansai and European destinations in November 2000.

As for domestic services, JAL plans to scrap flights between Central Japan International Airport in Aichi Prefecture and Fukuoka Airport in southern Japan by March 2009, the sources said.

The airline also plans to abolish flights connecting Fukushima Airport in northeastern Japan with Osaka International Airport, Kansai International Airport and Naha Airport. The Fukushima-Naha route is operated by a JAL subsidiary.END

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