Japan Airlines expands cargo routes as Yamato ends domestic freighter service

Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced changes to its international cargo flight schedule for the first half of fiscal year 2026 following the completion of scheduled maintenance for its dedicated freighter aircraft. The adjustments include increased flight frequencies from Narita to Tianjin, Taipei/Taoyuan, and Chicago. Additionally, JAL will resume its own weekly six flights from Narita to Hong Kong starting September 16, replacing the previous codeshare service with Cathay Pacific.

Separately, Yamato Holdings has decided to terminate its domestic freighter operations conducted in partnership with JAL by June 2027. The company cited rising costs driven by the weak yen and high fuel prices, which caused the price gap between air and truck transport to widen more than initially anticipated. While the freighters were introduced to mitigate logistics challenges such as the ‘2024 problem’ in Japan, Yamato will now pivot to utilizing cargo space in passenger aircraft bellies to maintain stable transport services, particularly for high-demand regions like Kyushu and Hokkaido.