Four US Airlines To Get Additional Haneda Flights

July 20, 2016

Four US carriers have won tentative approval to launch daytime flights to Tokyo's Haneda airport, the US Transportation Department said.

American, Delta, Hawaiian and United would gain the rights for flights that depart or land during the day at Haneda, the department said in a statement.

Prior to a US-Japan agreement in February, US carriers could only leave and land at Haneda late in the night.

Approvals were given to American for flights from Los Angeles, Delta from Los Angeles and Minneapolis, Hawaiian from Honolulu, and United from San Francisco. Except for Minneapolis, the cities already had night-time flights to Haneda.

A final decision will be issued after a public comment period, the department said. Service must begin within 90 days after the decision.

The Transportation Department said in a written order that if Delta scaled back its Minneapolis flight plans, the government would cancel the authority and give the flight to American in Dallas.

Other airlines have questioned if there was enough traffic to support a Minneapolis route.

The department rejected requests for Haneda flights from Dallas by American Airlines, Newark by United and Delta from Atlanta.

American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said in an email that the carrier was disappointed that the Dallas flight was not approved and it was considering all options. The airline could object to the decision before it is final.

In 2010, the Transportation Department selected Delta's Detroit-Haneda service proposal for night-time service, but after less than two years in operation it was cancelled in 2012 and moved to Seattle. Delta discontinued the Seattle flight in 2015, saying it was not commercially feasible.

(Reuters)