Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced a return to the freighter market after an absence of 13 years because it looks to capitalise on growing air cargo demand and a shortage of truck drivers.
The Tokyo-headquartered airline will add three Boeing 767-300ER freighters with operations attributable to start at the top of the 2023 fiscal 12 months.
JAL said that it decided to operate its own freighters because it had plans to grow within the cargo and mail business.
“With the introduction of the freighter, a brand new business model can be established to make sure stable and growing demand,” JAL said.
“As well as, we are going to strengthen our air transportation capabilities to satisfy the logistics needs arising from the [shortage of truck drivers in Japan] and contribute to solving social issues based on logistics.”
A law change coming into force in April 2024 will limit the yearly time beyond regulation work hours of truck drivers to 960 hours.
The freighter service may even goal domestic and international e-commerce volumes, other high-growth cargo and limit business risks attributable to fluctuations in demand and market conditions.
JAL also goals to construct partnerships with logistics partners.
“We are going to begin operating international flights mainly to East Asia, and in the long run operate domestic flights to enhance aircraft utilisation while maximising the cargo loading ratio,” the airline said.
“Moreover, we are going to reply to customers’ needs by flexibly offering charter and non-scheduled flights. “
Since leaving the freighter market in 2011 when it retired its Boeing 747-400 freighters, the carrier has offered cargo capability on its passenger flights and by chartering other corporations’ freighters.
Also JAL’s low-cost carrier unit, Spring Japan, recently formed a partnership with forwarder Yamato Holdings to launch a domestic freighter network attributable to start in April 2024 using A321 freighters.
This service also goals to combat the expected trucker shortage.
For the last fiscal 12 months, JAL reported a 3% year-on-year increase in cargo revenues to Y225bn.