Virgin Australia has announced its withdrawal from the Tokyo/Haneda to Cairns route, effective February 23, 2025.
The decision comes as traveler numbers from Japan to Australia have been slow to recover, still up to 35% below pre-COVID levels, with the depreciation of the yen also playing a factor. Approximately 2,000 passengers with bookings after the withdrawal date will be guided through the refund process.
Virgin Australia launched this route on June 28, 2023. Originally, the airline had planned to start flying from Tokyo/Haneda to Brisbane from March 2020, but it was postponed due to the pandemic. The route was initially established with the expectation of leisure demand from Japan.
As a result, the Boeing 737-8 aircraft used on this route will be redeployed to domestic flights within Australia.
