✈️ Japan's airlines are rapidly expanding their European networks! With inbound tourists hitting a record 36.87 million in 2024, JAL and ANA are significantly strengthening their European presence. ANA has launched Japan's first direct flights to Turkey, while JAL is deploying its state-of-the-art A350-1000 aircraft. Routes that were postponed due to the pandemic are finally taking off.
Record Inbound Demand and the Aviation Industry's Response
In 2024, the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached 36.87 million, surpassing the pre-pandemic record of approximately 31.88 million in 2019 by about 5 million visitors. Tourism spending by foreign visitors also hit a record high of ¥8.14 trillion. Aided by the weak yen, Japan is establishing itself as a premier global tourist destination.
To meet this strong inbound demand, Japan's flagship carriers JAL and ANA are accelerating the expansion of their international networks. Their European routes in particular are seeing aggressive development through new services, frequency increases, and deployment of the latest aircraft.
ANA's European Strategy: First Japanese Carrier to Launch Three New Destinations
From late 2024 through 2025, ANA dramatically expanded its European network. Three new routes that had been postponed due to the pandemic finally materialized after approximately five years.
The Three New Routes
ANA's newly launched European routes are as follows:
The Haneda-Milan route commenced operations on December 3, 2024, with three weekly flights. This marks ANA's first Tokyo-originating service to the city. Through a partnership with Italian railway company Trenitalia, passengers can connect from Milan Malpensa Airport to 25 cities across Italy. The route is expected to be a "well-balanced market" with 60% of demand from Japan and 40% from abroad.
The Haneda-Stockholm route launched on January 31, 2025, with three weekly flights. As the only direct flight from Japan, it significantly improves accessibility to the Nordic region. The airline expects about 50% connecting traffic and aims to position Northern Europe as a new overseas travel option for Japanese travelers.
The Haneda-Istanbul route began service on February 12, 2025, with three weekly flights. This is the first scheduled service by a Japanese carrier to Turkey. Istanbul, located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, is also attracting attention as a connecting hub for the Middle East and Africa.
Scale of the European Network
In addition to these new routes, ANA increased Paris and Munich services to daily flights in July 2024 and resumed Vienna service in August. As a result, ANA's European network has expanded to 8 countries and 9 cities with 49 weekly flights, making it the largest network connecting Japan and Europe.
ANA President Shin-ichi Inoue commented on the new route launches: "We've finally returned to this point. I'm deeply moved." Regarding Japanese outbound travel sentiment, he noted that "the frozen mindset is gradually beginning to thaw," emphasizing the company's commitment to supporting the revival of overseas travel.
JAL's European Strategy: Latest Aircraft and Joint Business Expansion
JAL operates joint business ventures with British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia Airlines on European routes. Through each carrier's extensive network, passengers can enjoy seamless connections to destinations across Europe.
Deployment of the Latest A350-1000 Aircraft
JAL is deploying its newest international aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000, on European routes. Daily service on the Haneda-London route began on January 2, 2025, with Haneda-Paris service scheduled to commence on November 9, 2025.
The A350-1000 features design built around the "Design Your Story" concept, catering to diverse passenger needs. It offers private suite-style business class seats and premium dining experiences created in collaboration with renowned chefs.
Inbound Tourism Initiatives
JAL has successfully captured strong inbound demand. In the first quarter of FY2024 (April-June), international passenger revenue increased 12.5% year-over-year to ¥165.9 billion, with passenger numbers up 11.4% to approximately 1.75 million.
JAL is also strengthening routes with promising inbound potential, including increasing Narita-Melbourne to daily service and resuming Narita-Shanghai operations. To meet robust winter inbound demand to Hokkaido, the carrier has also increased domestic flight frequencies on the Haneda-Sapporo and Itami-Sapporo routes.
Challenges Facing the Aviation Industry
While European route expansion progresses, Japanese airlines face several challenges.
Impact of Russian Airspace Closure
Due to the Russia-Ukraine situation, aircraft cannot fly over Russian airspace. This results in longer flight times on European routes, creating crew scheduling challenges. JAL and ANA are adapting by using either the southern route via Central Asia or the northern route via Alaska, depending on weather conditions.
Aviation Fuel Supply Issues
Domestic aviation fuel shortages have also been identified as a concern. ANA President Inoue pointed out that this is "an urgent issue for maintaining domestic route networks and expanding international production capacity," calling for the establishment of stable supply systems to achieve government targets for increasing inbound tourism.
Slow Recovery of Japanese Outbound Travel
While inbound demand has hit record highs, Japanese outbound travel remains at about 70% of 2019 levels. The main factor is increased overseas travel costs due to the weak yen. Airlines are working to stimulate Japanese outbound demand through initiatives tied to events like the JAL Honolulu Marathon and by proposing attractive new routes.
Future Outlook
The government has set targets of "60 million foreign visitors and ¥15 trillion in inbound consumption by 2030." The 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo is also expected to trigger further increases in inbound tourism.
JAL and ANA plan to continue expanding their international networks by pursuing both supply expansion to growth markets and enhanced competitiveness. While reducing environmental impact through fuel-efficient aircraft deployment, they aim to fulfill their role as bridges connecting Japan and the world.
In Japan, competition between airlines is making Europe more accessible than ever. How is the international network of your country's airlines? Are there good direct flight options to Japan? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
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Reactions in Japan
I've been waiting for ANA's direct Stockholm flight! I always wanted to visit Northern Europe but hesitated because of connecting flights. Now a weekend aurora trip isn't just a dream anymore.
The Istanbul route using the 787-8 with only 184 seats concerns me. Isn't 32 business class seats too few? I don't think I'll be able to get award tickets...
The Milan route makes my Italian business trips much easier. I used to have to connect through Frankfurt which took so much time. I'm really grateful for this.
JAL's A350-1000 deployment is the right call. With longer flight times due to not being able to fly over Russia, comfort on the latest aircraft matters. But three weekly flights is admittedly inconvenient.
Happy about the Stockholm route, but three weekly flights makes it hard to use. Can't always match my work schedule, so I might end up using Finnair anyway.
ANA's Istanbul launch commemorative tour with Masayo Shono! I have to go! A 45-year-old dream is coming true - literally 'flying to Istanbul'!
Direct flights are convenient but expensive... Turkish Airlines is often cheaper, so it honestly depends on the price. Might be good for people with ANA miles though.
Congrats on 36.87 million visitors! But with overtourism issues, it's hard to simply celebrate. Without better regional distribution, Kyoto and Mt. Fuji will be overwhelmed.
I wish JAL would open new routes too. ANAkeeps getting Istanbul and Stockholm, I'm jealous. A direct Barcelona flight would be amazing.
The fuel shortage is really serious. Can't fly even when there's demand - it defeats the purpose. The government should focus on infrastructure before setting inbound tourism targets.
Not being able to fly over Russia is hitting like a body blow. Over 14 hours on European routes is tough in economy. I just want the war to end soon.
I can go eat authentic kebab with the direct Istanbul flight! I want to ride the Cappadocia balloons too. Gonna make Turkey my summer vacation destination. Thanks ANA!
Overseas travel is expensive due to the weak yen, but flip side is Japan is cheap for foreigners. I welcome airlines thriving from inbound tourism and adding more routes.
European routes have longer flight times putting more burden on crews. Honestly, I want them to solve the crew workload issues before adding more flights. Safety first.
Can visit the original IKEA with the direct Stockholm flight! Want to do a Nordic furniture tour. So happy I can go without connections.
ANA's Milan route is fantastic news! More direct flights to Japan make traveling there more accessible. Japan is a popular destination for Italians, so I think demand will be high.
Finally a direct flight from Stockholm to Japan! Finnair via Helsinki isn't bad, but nothing beats the convenience of direct flights. Looking forward to ANA's service too.
As a Turkish person, I'm proud of ANA launching Istanbul flights. I'm grateful that a Japanese airline is finally operating scheduled flights to Turkey, a country with friendly relations with Japan.
I think Japanese airlines have the best service in the world. I flew JAL's A350-1000 and the business class privacy was amazing. European route expansion is great news.
More options to Japan is welcome, but competition with Lufthansa will get intense. For consumers, fare competition could be beneficial.
With JAL and ANA competing on the Paris-Tokyo route, service seems to be improving. Hope Air France steps up too.
While Japanese airlines expand European routes, it's unfortunate that China route recovery is slow. I hope exchange between China and Japan becomes more active.
I heard Korean visitors to Japan hit 8.8 million, the highest. But Japanese airlines seem focused only on Europe. Hope they also enhance Asian routes.
The Milan route makes it easier for Italian tourists to visit Japan. But with the weak yen, Japan travel is cheap, while Milan might be expensive for Japanese travelers.
There are direct flights from Australia to Japan, but I wish Japanese carriers would fly more. JAL and ANA's service quality is outstanding.
36.87 million inbound tourists is an impressive number. Japan is clearly establishing itself as a tourism powerhouse. Route expansion is supporting that.
Happy that direct flights from the Nordics have increased. Visiting Japan during autumn leaves or cherry blossom season was my dream, and now it's more realistic.
It's unfortunate that flight times are longer because of not being able to fly over Russia. But Japanese airline in-flight service is the best, so long flights are still comfortable.
Istanbul bridges Europe and Asia. With ANA's launch, I hope connections improve not just between Japan and Turkey, but also to the Middle East and Africa.
Japanese airlines are famous for punctuality. Fewer delays compared to European carriers is a major benefit for business travelers.