Japan Airlines targets Southeast Asia for new LCC venture
Japan Airlines will kick off its planned new budget brand in Southeast Asia.
JAL will initially focus on routes linking destinations in the ASEAN bloc with Japan, according to JAL director Masaru Onishi.
In an interview Onishi said the airline can lower costs by 50% compared to its mainline full-service operations but has not disclosed what service cutbacks this will involve or what destinations are being considered.
The new budget airline will progressively add two Boeing 787s each year to its fleet and is mulling ordering new planes for the as yet unnamed budget brand.
The JAL budget arm will likely come up against market leader AirAsia which has operations in nearly all ASEAN countries and fast growing regional budget carriers like VietJet and Cebu Pacific.
JAL recently said its stake in budget carrier Jetstar Japan will not be affected by starting a new standalone low cost brand.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025