Major US airlines are scrambling to bag lucrative new slots at Tokyo Haneda International airport.
The airport has made a dozen transpacific flights available to US airlines which have been eagerly snapped up, with four carriers applying for multiple flights.
Combined, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines have made applications for a total of 19, although only 12 are available.
Delta and United are seeking six each, American Airlines four and Hawaiian Airlines wants three.
Currently these carriers operate a total of six flights a day to Haneda from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii and Minneapolis.
United Airlines has applied to operate Haneda flights from Chicago O’Hare, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark and Washington Dulles. American hopes to secure twice daily service from Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Delta has applied for Seattle, Detroit, Portland, Atlanta and two a day from Honolulu.
Some of the planned flights are not new. The airlines would likely shift services from current routes which serve Tokyo’s Narita Airport.
Both American and United Airlines have joint business ventures with JAL and All Nippon Airways, which could work against them from an anti-competitive standpoint.
Hawaiian is also currently seeking anti-trust immunity to start a transpacific joint venture agreement with JAL.
