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Japan Airlines fleet

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Japan Airlines operates a fleet of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.

Current fleet

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As of September 2024, Japan Airlines operates the following aircraft:[1][2][3]

Japan Airlines fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
F J W Y Total
Airbus A321neo 11 TBA Deliveries to commence in 2028.[4]
Airbus A350-900 15 3 12 94 263 369 Order with 25 options.[5]
One additional domestic-configured type to be delivered in 2025 as a replacement for the aircraft written off as Flight 516.[4]
56 323 391
20 TBA To be equipped with international configuration; deliveries to commence in 2027.[4]
Airbus A350-1000 6 7 6 54 24 155 239[6] Replacing Boeing 777-300ER.
Boeing 737-800 42 12 132 144
20 145 165 Equipped with domestic configuration.
Boeing 737 MAX 8 21 TBA Deliveries to commence in 2026.[7]
Boeing 767-300ER 24 24 175 199
42 219 261 Equipped with domestic configuration.
5 205 252
Boeing 777-300ER 12 8 49 40 147 244 To be retired and replaced by Airbus A350-1000.[8]
Includes the Boeing 777-300ER prototypes (JA731J and JA732J).
Boeing 787-8 23 30 156 186
176 206
6 58 227 291 Equipped with domestic configuration.
Boeing 787-9 22 10 44 35 116 195 Deliveries through 2027.[4]
Order with 10 options.[9]
52 203
28 21 190 239
JAL Cargo fleet
Boeing 767-300BCF 2 1 Cargo [10]
Total 147 83
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As the Japanese government plans to add more slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport by 2020 (in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics), Japan Airlines intends to order more widebodies for growth in 2018 or 2019: it could exercise its 25 options on Airbus A350s on top of its 31 firm orders, due for delivery from 2019, and study others such as the proposed Boeing New Midsize Airplane or the 787-10 to add to its 787-9 with 10 remaining to be delivered.[11] Japan Airlines' Airbus A350 is currently maintained via the MRO subsidiary of Safran, OEMServices[12]

Japan Airlines operates a mixture of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. The airline provides economy class service on all routes; business class (J) service with larger seats in the cabin front on most major domestic routes; premium economy on some international routes; business class on all international routes; and first class on some long-haul and domestic routes.

On 5 December 2017, JAL announced it had invested $10 million in the aircraft manufacturer Boom Supersonic, which is currently developing a new supersonic commercial airliner capable of seating up to 55 passengers. In exchange for its funding, JAL will be able to pre-order up to 20 Boom aircraft.[13]

Cargo

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JAL Cargo is a freighter airline operating for JAL. It ended dedicated freighter aircraft operations in October 2010 after more than 30 years of service. It operated both propeller and jet aircraft through the years, most recently Boeing 747-400s (including aircraft converted from passenger to freighter configuration) and Boeing 767-300Fs. However, in 2023, JAL announced that they would bring back dedicated cargo 767 freighters, in a response to changes in labor regulations forcing Japanese truckers to work less hours.[14]

Former fleet

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A Boeing 727-100 at Tokyo's Haneda Airport in 1964
A Boeing 747-100SR aircraft taxiing on the tarmac
JAL Boeing 747-100BSR/SUD with stretched upper deck in 1987
A JAL Boeing 747-400 with Yokoso! Japan tiles
A JAL Boeing 747-400D (Domestic Version)
JAL Cargo Boeing 747-400BCF just after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport in 2007
A Boeing 777-200ER with Oneworld livery
A Convair 880 at Los Angeles International Airport in 1964
A Douglas DC-8-53 at New York in 1970. This aircraft would later crash as Japan Air Lines Flight 471 in 1972
A JAL McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40
A JAL McDonnell Douglas MD-11

Japan Airlines previously operated the following aircraft:[15]

Japan Airlines historical fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A300-600R 22 2006 2011 Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
Airbus A350-900 1 2021 2024 Written off as flight JL516.
Beechcraft H18[16] Un­known 1969 Un­known Used for pilot training.[17]
Boeing 727-100 Un­known 1965 1988
Boeing 737-400 7 1995 2003
Boeing 747-100 7 1970 2002 Launch customer with Pan Am
1 1977 Converted into a freighter and transferred to JAL Cargo.
Boeing 747-100SF 1 1977 1992
Boeing 747SR-100 9 1973 2005 Launch customer
1 1985 Crashed as flight JL123.
Boeing 747SR-100/SUD 2 1986 2006
Boeing 747-200B 23 1971 2007
2 1973 Converted into freighters and transferred to JAL Cargo.
Boeing 747-200F 8 1991 2008
Boeing 747-200SF 3 1974 2007
Boeing 747-300 16 1983 2009
Boeing 747-400 28 1990 2011
6 2005 Converted into freighters and transferred to JAL Cargo.
Boeing 747-400BCF 6 2006 2010
Boeing 747-400D 8 1991 2011 Launch customer
Boeing 747-400F 2 1991 2011
Boeing 767-200 4 1985 2011
Boeing 767-300 20 1986 2021 Launch customer
Boeing 767-300ERF 3 2007 2010
Boeing 777-200 8 1996 2021 [18]
7 Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
Boeing 777-200ER 11 2002 2023 [8][19]
Boeing 777-300 7 1998 2021 [18]
Boeing 777-300ER 1 2005 2024
Convair 880 9 1961 1971
Douglas DC-3 1 1951 1951 Operated invitational flights for three days on 27 August 1951.
Douglas DC-4 2 1952 1964
Douglas DC-6B 10 1954 1969 Operated the airline's inaugural international flight.
Some aircraft were converted into freighters.
Douglas DC-7C 5 1958 1965 Some aircraft were converted into freighters.
Douglas DC-8-30 4 1960 1975
Douglas DC-8-50 15 1962 1982
1 1972 Crashed as flight JL471.
Douglas DC-8-60 29 1968 1988
1 1968 Crashed as flight JL2.
1 1972 Crashed as flight JL446.
1 1977 Crashed as flight JL715.
1 1982 Crashed as flight JL350.
Douglas DC-8-60F 4 1968 1988
1 1977 Crashed as flight JL1045.
Martin 2-0-2 2 1951 Un­known Operated the airline's inaugural scheduled flight.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 20 1976 2005
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 10 1993 2004 All MD-11s were named after J-Birds. Later sold to UPS Airlines for freighter conversion.
McDonnell Douglas MD-81 11 2006 2010 Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
McDonnell Douglas MD-87 8 2006 2008 Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 16 2006 2013 Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
NAMC YS-11 1 1969 1970 Used for postal service.
1 Used for passenger service.
Tupolev Tu-114[20] 1 1967 1969 Used in association with Aeroflot.

References

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  1. ^ "World Airliner Census 2017". Flight International. 15 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Domestic aircraft and seat configurations". Japan Airlines. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ^ "International aircraft and seat configurations". Japan Airlines. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Japan Airlines to Introduce 42 New Aircraft from Airbus and Boeing". Japan Airlines (Press release). March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  5. ^ "Airbus and Japan Airlines sign their first ever order" (Press release). Japan Airlines. 7 October 2013. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  6. ^ "JAL Unveils New International Flagship Airbus A350-1000 Cabin Interiors Ahead of Upcoming Service Launch to New York".
  7. ^ "Japan Airlines Selects 737-8 to Grow Sustainable World-Class Fleet" (Press release). Boeing Media Room. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  8. ^ a b "Japan Airlines to replace B777s with A350s by late 1Q23". Ch-Aviation. 11 May 2021. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Japan Airlines orders 10 Boeing 787-9s, takes options for 10 more". Reuters. 22 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Japan Airlines to re-introduce B767-300 freighters". Ch-Aviation. 4 May 2023.
  11. ^ Adrian Schofield (6 November 2017). "Japan Airlines Considers Fleet-Plan Options". Aviation Week Network. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  12. ^ "JAL awards OEMS component support contract of its A350s". Avitrader. 11 November 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Thanks to supersonic flight, we may be able to cross the Atlantic in half the time". Futurism. 9 December 2017. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  14. ^ Brett, Damian (2023-05-03). "JAL returns to the freighter market to combat truck driver shortage". Air Cargo News. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  15. ^ "History of Aircraft". Japan Airlines. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  16. ^ "World Airline Directory – Japan Air Lines". Flight International. Reed Business Information. 20 March 1975. p. 490. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  17. ^ Phillips, Edward H. (1992). Beechcraft: Pursuit of Perfection; A History of Beechcraft Airplanes. Eagan, Minnesota: Flying Books. p. 27. ISBN 0-911139-11-7.
  18. ^ a b "Japan Airlines to retire its domestic Boeing 777s". Executive Traveller. 30 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Japan Airlines ends B777-200ER operations". Ch-Aviation. 13 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Japan, Soviet Sign Air Pact". The Akron Beacon Journal. AP. 21 Jan 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 1 January 2024 – via newspapers.com.