Japan Airlines (JAL) announced it will order an additional 17 Boeing 737 MAX 8 on top of its March 2023 order for 21 of the aircraft type.
The Japanese flag carrier intends to replace its single-aisle Boeing 737-800 aircraft with the B787-8 on domestic routes.
“Renewing the fleet in line with supply and demand will further enhance profitability,” the airline said.
As part of its fleet modernization, the carrier will also leverage the 11 Airbus A321neo aircraft it ordered at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 to replace its fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft, which are currently used primarily on routes to and from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND).
For international routes, JAL said it plans to add 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft and 20 Airbus A350-900 aircraft. JAL will also reassign an unspecified number of B787-9 aircraft to its subsidiary low-cost carrier ZIPAIR.
The airline expects its international scale to expand approximately 1.6 times by fiscal year 2030, compared to the fiscal year of 2023. In particular, the airline sees significant growth on North American and Asian routes and plans to increase flights and seat numbers with larger aircraft on these destinations to improve passenger experience.
The JAL Group said it aims to ensure growth and expansion by placing aircraft orders early, in anticipation of its growth beyond 2030.
The airline outlined a summary of its fleet order plans until 2030:
- 38 Boeing 737-8 for domestic routes (delivery scheduled within financial year of 2026)
- 11 Airbus A321neo for domestic routes (delivery scheduled within financial year of 2028)
- 10 Boeing 787-9 for international routes (delivery scheduled within financial year of 2028)
- 20 Airbus A350-900 for international routes (delivery scheduled within financial year of 2027)
- 3 Airbus A350-900 for domestic routes (sequential delivery/ introduction)
- 6 Airbus A350-1000 for international routes (sequential delivery / introduction)
“Additionally, by upgrading to more fuel-efficient aircraft, the company is committed to further reducing CO2 emissions,” JAL said.
The carrier recently announced its collaboration with Airbus, Sumitomo, and Green Earth Institute (GEI), to explore sourcing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from domestic Japanese wood.
