Japan Airlines (JAL) and Yamato Holdings revealed their cargo-only aircraft (an Airbus A321-200P2F, registration number: JA81YA) at Narita Airport on November 20th, with operations set to commence on April 11, 2024.
In January 2022, the two companies announced a joint venture to operate freighter services, connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area with Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Three Airbus A321-200ceo aircraft have been converted into cargo planes, A321-200P2F, and will be leased by Yamato Holdings. The aircraft unveiled is the first in this fleet.
Originally operated by Qatar Airways, the aircraft was converted by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), a joint venture between Airbus and ST Engineering of Singapore based in Germany. The modification work took place in Singapore starting in March and, after a stopover at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, it arrived at Narita Airport on November 6th.
The aircraft’s livery is based in grey, featuring the Yamato Group’s symbol of a black cat carrying a kitten near the nose, and the Advance mark on the vertical stabilizer.
The main deck can hold 14 AAY containers and the lower deck 10 AKH containers, compatible with 88-inch pallets. Each aircraft has a maximum payload of 28 tons, equivalent to about 5-6 ten-ton trucks. Compared to the smaller freighter Boeing 737-800BCF, it can carry approximately 20% more cargo. With a maximum range of 3,000 kilometers, it can operate flights from Tokyo to destinations such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Spring Japan, part of the JAL Group, will handle the operations. Proving flights (familiarization flights) will be conducted until around March 2024, with commercial flights on Tokyo/Narita to Sapporo/Chitose, Kitakyushu, Okinawa/Naha routes, and an additional Okinawa/Naha to Kitakyushu route, totaling 9 daily flights, starting on April 11. By the summer of 2024, the service is planned to expand to include the Tokyo/Haneda to Sapporo/Chitose, Kitakyushu routes, with future prospects of expansion to other domestic airports and short-haul international destinations in Asia.
In Japan’s logistics industry, the so-called “2024 problem,” including shortages of truck drivers and risks of logistics network disruption due to natural disasters, has arisen as challenges. JAL and Yamato Holdings aim to address these issues by introducing cargo-only aircraft as a new transportation method, contributing to regional revitalization through the expansion of manufacturing companies and the distribution of fresh produce.
■Proving Flight Schedule (non-regular, planned) IJ*** Tokyo/Narita (07:45) to Kitakyushu (09:50) / November 20th to 30th IJ*** Kitakyushu (10:25) to Osaka/Kansai (11:25) / November 20th to 30th IJ*** Osaka/Kansai (12:00) to Tokyo/Narita (13:25) / November 20th to 30th IJ*** Tokyo/Narita (14:30) to Kitakyushu (16:35) / November 20th to 30th IJ*** Kitakyushu (17:10) to Osaka/Kansai (18:15) / November 20th to 30th IJ*** Osaka/Kansai (18:50) to Tokyo/Narita (20:15) / November 20th to 30th
IJ*** Tokyo/Narita (08:30) to Osaka/Kansai (09:55) / Starting December 21st IJ*** Osaka/Kansai (10:30) to Kitakyushu (11:35) / Starting December 21st IJ*** Kitakyushu (12:10) to Tokyo/Narita (13:50) / Starting December 21st IJ*** Tokyo/Narita (15:15) to Kitakyushu (17:20) / Starting December 21st IJ*** Kitakyushu (17:55) to Osaka/Kansai (19:10) / Starting December 21st IJ*** Osaka/Kansai (19:35) to Tokyo/Narita (21:00) / Starting December 21st
Notice
This article was generated using automatic translation by GPT-4 API. The translation may not be accurate.
