Seattle, WA: March 31, 2019: Japan Airlines (JAL) today celebrated its launch of nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT). With this launch, SEA becomes the airline’s 11th U.S. gateway. The latest route is a joint business service with fellow oneworld® alliance member American Airlines, and further strengthens the two airlines’ combined transpacific operations. JAL and Alaska Airlines have also enhanced their partnership and codeshare access to 55 routes through Seattle, adding 19 new destinations to JAL’s network.

The first flight, JL068, departed NRT with a nearly full load of passengers on Japan Airlines’ Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, called JAL SKY SUITE 787. The flight landed at SEA this morning on schedule.

Before the departure of flight JL067 from Seattle to Tokyo, Japan Airlines Senior Managing Executive Officer, Managing Division Route Marketing, Hideki Kikuyama, led a gate ceremony, which featured a program including ribbon cutting with local dignitaries. JAL passengers were served cake and refreshments in the gate area and received commemorative gifts as they boarded the flight.

“Our new Seattle service perfectly complements JAL’s global network and increases our West Coast reach to six routes daily,” said Kikuyama, “Seattle business and leisure travel demand to Asia continues to grow and we look forward to offering more travelers JAL’s five-star service and unique approach to hospitality.”

“Tokyo is one of the world’s most important business and leisure destinations and our customers value the new nonstop flight from Seattle,” said Joe Mohan, American’s Vice President of Alliances and Partnerships. “This route is another example of the strength of American and JAL’s joint business across the Pacific that provides the seamless travel experience that our customers in both markets prefer.”

“Our Global Partners, including Japan Airlines, are connecting Seattle to the world, with a combined 80+ flights every week by the end of this summer. Over half of our international connections are with our Asian partners, and Japan Airlines’ new nonstop service from Seattle to Tokyo means Asia is even more within reach,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines president and chief operating officer. “Our guests can look forward to an authentic taste of Japan as soon as they step on the plane, while earning and redeeming their hard-earned miles.”

Japan Airlines’ SEA-NRT nonstop service will operate daily with the airline’s JAL SKY SUITE 787 (Boeing 787-8) aircraft. The two-class configuration includes 30 award-winning JAL SKY SUITE fully flat seats in JAL Business Class, and 156 JAL SKY WIDER seats, which have also won industry awards, in JAL Economy Class. JAL’s latest inflight entertainment system, Magic-VI, is available throughout the aircraft, with touchscreen monitors fitted at every seat. Aircraft are also equipped with Inflight Wi-Fi (fee based).

The JAL Group will continue to embrace new challenges to deliver greater customer convenience, enhance its networks, and improve the quality of its products and services.