Virgin plan for Japan
CAIRNS could be in the running for Virgin Australia’s first route to Japan.
The airline plans to make an application to the International Air Services Commission for one of two available Australian airline slots at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
However, the carrier has not decided which Australian city will host the service.
A Virgin Australia spokeswoman would not confirm or deny if Cairns Airport was in contention.
Jetstar is the only airline operating Japanese services from Cairns to Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka.
The flights are the two most popular international routes from Cairns.
In March 2019, Tourism Australia statistics showed Jetstar’s Tokyo (Narita) flight was the third highest in seat growth – followed by Qantas’ Osaka-Sydney route and Japan Airlines’ Tokyo-Melbourne route.
A route from Cairns to Haneda would mean a more convenient flight for Australian tourists due to its proximity to Tokyo.
Haneda Airport is considerably closer to the heart of the mega metropolis – only 14km from Tokyo railway station. It served as Japan’s main international airport until 1978.
Narita Airport is 60km east of Tokyo, which results in about an hour’s train ride or drive from the centre of the city.
Narita is also subject to a curfew, while Haneda is open 24 hours a day.
Qantas has also announced plans for the two slots, with flights from Sydney and Melbourne.
A Cairns Airport spokeswoman said the airport had not held any specific discussions about the route and she could not add anything further.
The announcement is one of many changes Virgin Australia is undertaking.
At the end of last month, the airline announced it would cut 750 jobs and review routes after its seventh consecutive years of losses.
It blames soft demand, high fuel costs and currency movements as the reasons for a $315 million loss last financial year.
A Virgin spokeswoman said it was “business as usual” for routes to and from Cairns for the time being.
The airline operates flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.