Hawaiian Airlines and other U.S. carriers now have two more opportunities to land another coveted slot at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo.
The U.S. and Japanese governments finalized an aviation agreement Thursday for expanded access to Haneda that will make travel more convenient for passengers by allowing U.S. air carriers to fly into and out of Haneda during daylight hours. The agreement also paves the way for two additional slot pairs, one daytime and one nighttime, between Haneda and U.S. cities that will complement the four nighttime routes currently being operated. Under the agreement, five of the six pairs of flights will be permitted to operate during the daytime.
“As the premier carrier between Tokyo and Honolulu, we are well acquainted with the importance of strengthening open skies agreements between Japan and the United States,” Hawaiian President and CEO Mark Dunkerley said. “This accord reached will mean increased traffic from Tokyo to points in the United States, which in turn creates American jobs and improves convenience and choice for air travelers.”
Business travelers generally prefer Haneda because it is about 10 miles from downtown Tokyo, while Narita International Airport is about 40 miles away. Haneda also can be desirable for some leisure travelers but generally is more expensive than U.S. flights to Narita. Haneda’s arrival and departure times have been inconvenient because Haneda has restricted long-haul flights to off-peak hours so that they arrive and take off late at night.
Hawaiian, which has been operating a daily flight between Honolulu and Haneda since November 2010 when four slots were opened for U.S. carriers, arrives from Honolulu at Haneda at 10:05 p.m. and departs Haneda at 11:55 p.m. for Honolulu.
Now, though, Hawaiian will have the option of changing those flight times. In addition, Hawaiian plans again to seek another Haneda slot after being rebuffed three times by the U.S. Department of Transportation for a proposed flight between Haneda and Kona. Additional opportunities for Haneda routes have arisen since 2010 when some U.S. airlines sought to reallocate the original routes awarded. Today United Airlines flies to Haneda from San Francisco, and American Airlines and Delta Air Lines each service Haneda from Los Angeles.
“We will be reviewing the agreement and look forward to participating in the allocation process for additional access to Haneda,” Dunkerley said.
In July Hawaiian will begin previously announced daily service between Honolulu and Narita.
Although Hawaiian has been lobbying for another Haneda route since they were first awarded, receiving one won’t be a lock since United, American and Delta airlines could throw their hat in the ring again.
U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono welcomed Thursday’s agreement.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Secretary of State John Kerry “have worked diligently with their counterparts in Japan to find a way to provide business and leisure travelers more options to conveniently fly between Tokyo and the U.S.,” Schatz said. “Adding more options into Haneda complements Japan’s desire to expand international flights, supports consumers, and aligns with U.S. tourism goals.”
Hirono said the agreement will provide a welcome boost to the visitor industry for Hawaii and across the country.
“Increasing the number of flights to Haneda Airport will benefit the American economy, increase consumer choice, and serve to build an even stronger link with our close ally, Japan,” she said.
Of the four Haneda slots that were awarded in 2010, Hawaiian sought two Haneda-Honolulu slots but received only one. Delta received two at the time — one for Los Angeles and one for Detroit — and American Airlines received one for New York.
In November 2012 Hawaiian lost a bid for a Haneda-Kona route when the Department of Transportation approved Delta’s request to transfer the carrier’s previously approved Haneda slot in Detroit to Seattle rather than allow another airline to use the Haneda slot.
Then in March 2014 Hawaiian lost its bid again for a Haneda-Kona route. That slot became available when American discontinued its money-losing Haneda-New York service in December.
The slot was awarded to United Airlines for Haneda service to San Francisco.
In 2015 the DOT awarded Delta’s Seattle slot to American for Los Angeles-Haneda service after Delta did not meet expectations with that route in Seattle. Hawaiian had bid again for that Haneda slot with a proposal for Haneda-Kona service, but was relegated to a backup position by the DOT when American was chosen during the competition.
