American Airlines may soon operate LA-Tokyo service

American Airlines has filed a request with the U.S. Department of Transportation to serve once a day flight between Airport Tokyo’s Haneda and Los Angeles International Airport. The airline has proposed to offer a year round service and to utilize the slots once used by Delta Air Lines from Seattle.

Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airline has made second such request to the DOT. The airline in October 2014 made a request to allow it to serve on this same route again using the slots of Delta, citing that Delta offered only seasonal service to Tokyo from Seattle.

As per the bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Japan, all U.S. based airlines can offer a maximum of four round-trip flights in a day to Haneda Airport. At present, it is occupied by Hawaiian’s Honolulu service; Delta’s Seattle and Los Angeles service and United’s San Francisco service. Even Hawaiian Airlines has filed a request with DOT to serve flights to Haneda Airport from Kona, Hawaii.

As per Scott Kirby, President American Airlines there is very limited airline service to Japan by U.S. airline, hence it becomes all the more important that we are allowed to contend. As of now the major players operating flights to Japan from the U.S. include Delta Airlines and US Airways.

Landing slots of Haneda International airport are in high demand as it has become a hub for travelers flying for business purposes. Haneda’s close proximity to downtown area than Tokyo's other airport; Narita is also another major reason for this.