ZIPAIR Tokyo opened its Tokyo/Narita-Houston route on March 4. This marks the airline’s 10th destination, expanding its North American destinations to five cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Vancouver.
Both Narita and Houston departures will operate four round trips per week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, switching to Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from March 31. The flights utilize Boeing 787-8 aircraft configured with 18 “ZIP Full-Flat” seats and 272 “Standard” seats, totaling 290 seats. One-way fares start at 188,500 yen or 1,450 USD for “ZIP Full-Flat Value,” 55,250 yen or 425 USD for “Standard Value,” and a fixed rate of 15,000 yen or 136 USD for “U6 Standard Value” for children under six. Airport charges and taxes are extra, though no fuel surcharge is applied.
During a commemorative ceremony at Narita Airport, ZIPAIR Tokyo’s President Shingo Nishida introduced Houston as a growing city in terms of population and economy within the US. “Japanese businesses in sectors like energy, IT, and the space industry are expanding here,” he said. “We hope to develop the route to serve expatriates, their families, and visitors.”
▲ZIPAIR Tokyo President Shingo Nishida
He also addressed the potential demand for studying abroad, noting, “Though the west coast is often seen as the place for studying abroad, southern Texas is also home to many great schools. There’s particular interest if one is aiming for a career in aerospace.” The initiative aims to lower the cost barrier, making it easier for students to consider this option.
The route from Tokyo/Narita to Houston takes 11 hours and 45 minutes, and the return journey is 14 hours and 5 minutes, making it the airline’s longest route. Nishida stated, “It’s a challenge for us, consuming about 28 hours for a round trip with our limited fleet. Once we establish this operation at a high level, we’ll challenge further expansion into the US Midwest and East Coast.”
The inaugural flight ZG16 departed with 129 passengers and 13.2 tons of cargo, leaving spot 16 at 9:53 AM and taking off at 10:11 AM.
