Just one month after Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Air System (JAS) formally merged under a joint holding company, the carriers announced plans to rationalise operations at domestic airports.
The merger of the two airlines through the establishment of a single holding company was completed early in October and effectively represented a takeover of smaller JAS by JAL. The JAS name will disappear once operational integration is completed early in 2004.
Japan Airlines System, the new holding company, says that from April 2003 domestic flights to and from nine airports will be operated and managed by only one of the two airline companies. "The reorganisation will improve operating efficiency and help reduce costs through better use of resources," it says.
JAL and subsidiary JAL Express will halt services to seven airports on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku and flights will be operated with JAS aircraft. JAL will also transfer management of facilities at Akita, Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Kochi, Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Nagasaki to JAS.
JAS and its subsidiaries will also transfer operations at Komatsu, Naha and Okinawa to JAL. "The two airlines also plan a further streamlining of their flights to domestic airports by improving schedule co-ordination and avoiding schedule duplication, for greater customer convenience," the company says.
Source: Airline Business
