Japan Airlines (JAL) inaugurated its Tokyo/Haneda to Doha route on March 31. This marks the first direct service to the Middle East by a Japanese airline and the company’s return to the region for the first time in about 34 years.
The service operates one round trip daily, with flight JL59 departing Tokyo/Haneda at 10:50 PM. It arrives in Doha at 4:40 AM the next morning. The return flight JL50 leaves Doha at 7:15 AM and arrives in Tokyo/Haneda at 11:55 PM. The flights utilize Boeing 787-9 aircraft with 52 seats in Business Class, 35 seats in Premium Economy, and 116 seats in Economy class, totaling 203 seats.
In cooperation with Qatar Airways, a fellow oneworld alliance member, JAL operates this route as a code-share, providing connections from Doha to the Middle East, Africa, and South America. This partnership significantly reduces total travel time to destinations like Riyadh, Johannesburg, and Casablanca compared to traditional routes via London.
JAL first ventured into the Middle East in October 1962 with its Tokyo/Haneda to Hong Kong to Bangkok to Calcutta to Karachi to Kuwait to Cairo to Rome to Frankfurt to London route (southern European route). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which allowed airlines to fly over Siberia, the southern European route was discontinued in August 1990, ending regular flights to the Middle East.
▲JAL’s Managing Executive Officer Kenichiro Ochi speaking at the inauguration ceremony
A ceremonial event was held at Haneda Airport in line with the departure of the inaugural JL59 flight. During the event, JAL’s Managing Executive Officer Kenichiro Ochi described Doha as a fantastic city with traditional markets, museums, cutting-edge hotels, and vast deserts. He highlighted the convenience and increased travel options provided through the utilization of Qatar Airways’ network.
Flight JL59 (aircraft registration: JA872J) was utilized by 178 passengers. It departed from gate 112 at 10:56 PM and took off from runway C at 11:14 PM. It is expected to arrive in Doha at 5:18 AM local time on April 1. According to JAL, the return flight JL50 departing from Doha on April 1 also has reservations for about 90% of its capacity.
Following the launch of JAL’s route, Qatar Airways’ Tokyo/Haneda to Doha service will be suspended starting with the Tokyo/Haneda departure on April 1. The airline had just resumed operations in June 2023 after a suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic, ending its service about 10 years after its launch in June 2014. However, the code-share on Qatar Airways’ Tokyo/Narita to Doha route will continue.
▲Souvenirs and a model of the Convair 880 aircraft (registration: JA8021) used on the southern European route displayed at gate 112 for the departure of flight JL59
