JAL's New LCC ZIPAIR Tokyo To Launch Next Year
March 8, 2019
Japan Airlines has named its new medium/long-haul low cost carrier ZIPAIR Tokyo, with plans to launch in mid-2020.
JAL says the name is derived from the English word zip, as in speed, and the idea of travel to destinations in various zip codes. It was also chosen to maintain the “originality and ingenuity of the Japanese culture.”
The new company has applied for a Japanese air operator's certificate, with initial routes from Tokyo Narita to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Seoul Incheon airports.
ZIPAIR Tokyo will launch with two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners from JAL's fleet in time for the peak summer travel season.
Although the airline will initially fly regional routes, JAL plans for the low cost carrier to serve trans-Pacific and European flights, competing with Japanese rival ANA's own LCC Peach.