Air Asia Zest Applies for Tokyo Haneda Flights

Budget carrier AirAsia Zest is planning to launch flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport in Japan. The airline submitted an application the Civil Aeronautics Board earlier this month requesting permission to operate the flights.
air asia tokyo
Copyright Photo: Angelo Agcamaran/PPSG
Philippine Airlines and All Nippon Airways are currently the only carriers serving the Manila to Tokyo Haneda route. PAL just launched its Haneda route with two daily flights on March 30. According to AirAsia Zest CEO Alfredo Yao, the carrier is optimistic that flights will begin soon given the nation's good relations with Japan.

"We've already applied," said Yao. "We applied this month for flights to Haneda." AirAsia Zest is planning to offer daily flights to Tokyo's second major gateway. In addition, the carrier is also evaluating a number of other route opportunities to Japan following the establishment of a new air services agreement between Japan and the Philippines.

The improvements in the Philippine commercial aviation industry including the restoration of Category 1 status from the United States FAA and the removal from the International Civil Aviation Organization's blacklist of countries with significant air safety concerns led to the establishment of a new air agreement with Japan after the country imposed restrictions on carriers from the Philippines, following counterparts in South Korea, the United States, and the European Union.

Under the restrictions imposed by Japan, Philippine carriers were unable to mount new flights to the country due to safety and security concerns in the Philippines. With the new agreement, 400 flights per week are now permitted between Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Narita Airport in Tokyo. AirAsia Zest had previously indicated an interest to offer flights to Tokyo Narita later this year.

The Japanese government recently announced that it is planning to remove visa restrictions for Filipinos. Visa-free entry to Japan for Filipino tourists is expected to begin as early as June of this year.

7 comments:

  1. I don't see the point of applying to fly HND. The Japanese government only gave us 14x and are all held by PR. Even though PR now only utilizes 7x right now, it is unlikely that they will give it up or CAAP will give it to them as HND is strictly for business carriers which they are not. 5J and 2P even applied to get slots. Other than PR, it's 5J that deserves it more not them.

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    1. I don't see why 5J is more deserving... They already have NRT slots, and Air Asia just as much a PH airline as them. Plus, a new airline in the TYO-MNL route won't be bad - more competition, lower prices. I'm surprised that the flights doubled, but there hasn't been a *significant* price decrease. Very good loads in the Japan routes?

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  2. It's about fair competition and business rather than which airline "deserves" it. There is no restriction stating that HND is "strictly" for business carriers. That was an "invention" by CAAP. While many legacy carriers operate there, you will actually find a number of low cost carriers and hybrid carriers already using the airport including: AirAsia X, Air Do, Hong Kong Express, Solaseed Air, Starflyer, and Skymark Airlines. There is no such thing as an airline which "deserves" it.

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    1. Except Air Do, Solaseed and Skymark are domestic (Japanese) carriers and aren't low-cost (Skymark is hybrid though), while ANA has a small stake in Starflyer. Air Asia X, unlike CebPac or AirAsia Zest, does have a business class cabin, so that could have been a factor as to why they have Haneda flights, while Hong Kong Express only recently became an LCC, so they may had been planning Haneda flights even before their "conversion"

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    2. Try reading up some posts about HND and it's basically for business travellers. Narita is the one for leisure. Plus, if caap is the one who imposed it using Japan's name wouldn't Japan say otherwise and embarrass caap?

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  3. Also, medyo off-topic lang ito ng kaunti, pero may napansin lang ako sa CAPA: medyo biased sila sa mga LCC. Parang karamihan sa mga article nila tungkol sa mga LCC super positive, to the point na minsan sila pa ang nagsusuggest na dapat may pumasok na LCC sa isang bansa, o sinasabi nila na "now is the time for LCCs to take a market share in [country]". Bakit kaya?

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    1. I think it's not bias. LCC is the trend right now. If you put an LCC in a flag carrier dominated country, the flag carrier would really suffer.

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