Back in May 2023, JAL announced it would be converting three of its Boeing 767-300ERs into freighters and restarting dedicated cargo operations for the first time in over a decade. Today, the airline announced the routes it plans to operate in the reborn JAL Cargo’s early days.
Continue reading to learn more about the airline’s plans.
JAL Cargo 767s Will First Fly to Taipei, Seoul, and Shanghai
When JAL announced its plan to restart dedicated freighter operations, the airline stressed two things it would focus on:
- Ensuring stable demand through forming strong partnerships with logistics companies and developing a domestic network to tackle the “2024 problem” (a change in a law that will limit the number of hours truck drivers can work in a year)
- Maximizing aircraft utilization and profitability by operating both international (mainly within East Asia) and domestic routes
Today’s announcement revealed the first set of scheduled cargo routes the airline plans to launch in February 2024. So far, it only announced schedules up to March 30, 2024, but chances are the same routes will continue later in the year too.
On February 19, 2024, JAL Cargo will launch five weekly flights on the Tokyo Narita – Taipei Taoyuan – Nagoya Chubu – Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita route. The exact timing of the flights will vary depending on the day of the week, but in general, the aircraft will depart Tokyo Narita in the late afternoon every Monday through Friday and arrive back the following morning.
JAL Cargo’s second route, Tokyo Narita – Shanghai Pudong will run six times a week from March 1, 2024. Every Monday through Friday, the outbound flight from Tokyo Narita will briefly stop at Nagoya Chubu Airport; on Saturdays, it will fly to Shanghai non-stop. All of the inbound flights from Shanghai to Tokyo (running between Tuesdays and Sundays) will be non-stop.
The converted 767-300ERs will allow JAL to transport up to 48 tons of freight (32 tons on the main deck and 16 tons in the cargo hold) on these flights flight.
This Will Not Be JAL’s First Time Owning Freighters
JAL Cargo will not be a new brand – the airline hauls cargo around the world in the cargo hold of its passenger planes and with the help of its partners already. JAL converting some of its 767s into cargo aircraft will not be the airline’s first time owning freighters either.
The airline operated freighters for over three decades until it stopped doing so in October 2010. Over the years, JAL Cargo operated freighters including the DC-8-60F, multiple variants of the 747, and the 767-300ERF. Most recently, it operated the 767-300ER and 747-400 freighters including some in an eye-catching bare metal livery.
During that era of JAL Cargo, the aircraft could not only be seen flying around Asia but also on long-haul routes.
In addition to the above, while not aircraft owned by JAL, the airline’s majority-owned low-cost subsidiary Spring Japan recently started operating Airbus A321P2F freighters for Yamato Transport.
Summary
It was known from this spring that by early 2024, JAL would be reintroducing dedicated freighters in the form of converted 767-300ERs to its fleet. With today’s announcement, the initial routes are clear now too.
The 767-300ERs will start operating to Taipei and Seoul in February 2024 and then Shanghai in March 2024. The flights will represent JAL’s first freighter flights in over a decade.
In the past, the airline used to operate a variety of freighters ranging from the 767-300ER that it is reintroducing now all the way to the 747-400F.
