Japan Airlines has officially started the process of refreshing its long haul fleet, as the oneworld carrier is taking delivery of Airbus A350-1000s, which will gradually replace Boeing 777-300ERs. Not only is the A350 a joy to fly in...
| Note: I’ve updated this post to reflect that Japan Airlines’ schedule now shows the A350-1000 flying to New York daily as of March 30, 2024. Thanks to @IshrionA for flagging this. |
Japan Airlines has officially started the process of refreshing its long haul fleet, as the oneworld carrier is taking delivery of Airbus A350-1000s, which will gradually replace Boeing 777-300ERs. Not only is the A350 a joy to fly in general, but these planes are particularly exciting, given that they feature an all-new passenger experience.
Japan Airlines has been dealing with some minor delays with the introduction of these new planes. Fortunately in mid-December 2023, the airline took delivery of its first A350-1000, so we can be confident that the current timeline will stick.
Let me also emphasize that these new A350-1000s are separate from the company’s A350-900s, which are exclusively used for domestic flights.
Japan Airlines takes delivery of first A350-1000
On December 14, 2023, Japan Airlines took delivery of its very first Airbus A350-1000. The aircraft has the registration code JA01WJ, and it flew from Toulouse (TLS) to Tokyo (HND). Fortunately the plane’s cabins are fully installed, so this isn’t the case of an airline taking delivery of a plane with incomplete cabins.
Now that the plane is in Tokyo, it’s being prepared for entry into service, including crew familiarization. I’m curious if the plane ends up operating some domestic flights with passengers for crew training, or if the airline skips that step. The plane will be entering service several weeks from now, so the airline has quite some time to make preparations.
Japan Airlines’ first Airbus A350-1000
Japan Airlines’ planned A350-1000 routes
Japan Airlines plans to initially fly its Airbus A350-1000s to New York, followed by Dallas. The intent is for the A350-1000 to enter service as of January 24, 2024, initially flying every other day between Tokyo (HND) and New York (JFK). The airline operates two daily frequencies in the market, and the following frequency is expected to be the first one to get the A350:
JL6 Tokyo to New York departing 11:05AM arriving 10:50AM
JL5 New York to Tokyo departing 1:45PM arriving 5:15PM (+1 day)
The service will only be offered every other day, so that means:
In January 2024, it’ll be offered on even numbered days (January 24-30, 2024) In February 2024, it’ll be offered on odd numbered days (February 1-28, 2024) In March 2024, it’ll be offered on even numbered days (March 2-30, 2024)Japan Airlines has now confirmed that the above route will feature the A350-1000 daily as of March 31, 2024, and the flight schedule has been updated to reflect that.
What happens after that? Once Japan Airlines takes delivery of its third Airbus A350-1000, the plan is to next fly the aircraft between Tokyo (HND) and Dallas (DFW). However, there’s no timeline for this happening yet, though I’d expect for it to be later in 2024 (probably in the second half of the year).
Japan Airlines’ new A350 business class
Why is the Japan Airlines A350-1000 delayed?
Initially Japan Airlines planned to start flying the A350-1000 as of November 2023. As you can tell, this timeline slipped by roughly three months. So, what’s the cause of this delay? The airline has only officially stated that the delay is due to supply chain issues.
It’s not clear exactly what the supply chain issues related to. While this is only speculation, I’m guessing that the supply chain issues that caused this delay involved the cabin finishes, rather than the aircraft as such. Fortunately both the aircraft and the cabins are now fully ready to go, so barring any unforeseen challenges, we shouldn’t see any additional delays.
We’ve seen airlines have huge delays with entry into service of new planes lately, so a roughly three month delay isn’t half bad, in the grand scheme of things. I also appreciate how Japan Airlines didn’t tease this product for years before introducing it (not that any other airline would do such a thing). ?
Japan Airlines’ new A350 premium economy
I can’t wait to fly Japan Airlines’ A350-1000!
When Japan Airlines first announced plans for its Airbus A350-1000s, I made some speculative bookings between New York and Tokyo, in hopes of being able to review the new aircraft.
Unfortunately a few of my bookings were for December and early January, so didn’t pan out. However, I have one booking that did work out, so I’m looking forward to reviewing Japan Airlines’ new flagship aircraft shortly after it enters service.
Now I just need to figure out how I’m going to get to Tokyo to kick off this trip. If anyone has any requests, please let me know!
Japan Airlines’ new A350 first class
Bottom line
Japan Airlines recently took delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000, which will be the carrier’s new flagship long haul aircraft. The plane was delayed by a few months, but I’m happy to see this didn’t drag on beyond that.
The first plane will enter service between Tokyo and New York as of late January 2024. Initially the A350 will fly between the two airports every other day, and then as of late March 2024, the plane will fly between the two airports daily. The plan is to next fly the A350 to Dallas, once the third aircraft is delivered.
What do you make of Japan Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000 routes?