Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE
Just a week after Japan and the USA reached a basic agreement on air-cargo services, the two countries have become embroiled in a new row over passenger flights.
The fresh dispute centres on the US Department of Transport's (DoT) rejection of Japan Airlines (JAL) application to fly between Tokyo and Kona, in Hawaii. JAL had planned to launch the thrice-weekly service from 1 April.
Japan's Ministry of Transport (MoT), in a tit-for-tat retaliation, turned down United Airlines application to temporarily increase its frequencies between Honolulu and Kansai from seven to 14 flights a week for a holiday period in April.
The DoT decision to block JAL's Kona service follows complaints by United Airlines that the MoT had failed to approve its application to launch beyond services from Tokyo to Seoul and Bangkok.
Japan is refusing to grant US carriers any more fifth-freedom passenger services, until the 1952 bilateral air-services agreement between the two countries is renegotiated. MoT accuses United of abusing the agreement by carrying more than 50% Japanese traffic.
JAL argues that its planned route to Kona was a substitute for its service to Washington, which was discontinued in November, and is allowed under a 1989 memorandum between Japan and the USA.
This latest row is not expected to affect the signing of the new air- cargo-services agreement in Washington, due in mid-April.
Source: Flight International
