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Hawaii island will receive another economic boost when Japan Airlines resumes flying Friday between Tokyo and Kona for the first time since October 2010.
In December, Hawaiian Airlines was the first to restore service between Japan and the Big Island with flights three times a week between Kona and Haneda International Airport in Tokyo.
JAL’s daily route between Narita International Airport and Kona is expected to result in about $84.2 million in visitor spending and about $9.8 million in state tax revenue, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. JAL currently offers six other nonstop flights between Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and
Honolulu.
Until December, Hawaii island had been without nonstop Japan service since JAL pulled out in conjunction with the company’s government-backed bankruptcy restructuring.
Japan Airlines had offered the daily flight between Narita and Hawaii island since June 1996.
JAL, which will use a revamped 199-seat Boeing 767-300ER to operate the service, will celebrate the relaunch with a blessing ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday. Gov. David Ige; JAL Chairman Masaru Onishi; Brian Humphrey, director of the San Francisco and Portland field offices of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Ford Fuchigami, director of the state Department of Transportation; and Randy Baldemor, chief operating officer for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, will be among the participants.
A water cannon salute is planned for the inbound aircraft at 10:15 a.m. with a send-off for the departing flight scheduled for 11:15 a.m.