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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 12, 2002

Airlines reinstating more U.S.-Asia flights

By Marilyn Adams
USA Today

Growing demand for flights between the United States and Asia is prompting carriers on both sides of the Pacific to restore flights earlier than expected and even launch new service.

United has restored a second daily Chicago-Tokyo flight and a daily Chicago-Beijing flight.

Bloomberg News Service

"Of all our international regions, Asia is doing the best," said Graham Atkinson, United Airlines' senior vice president/international. "Revenue is actually improving in the Pacific, unlike everywhere else."

Revenue per seat for each mile flown is up 15 percent from a year ago on Asia routes, he said.

The source is not Japan, where the economy is struggling and the risk of terrorism leaves some travelers hesitant to fly to the United States. But other Asian economies are strengthening and planes are packed.

It's not a boom — U.S. airlines cut Pacific flying capacity 25 percent in the first quarter, far more than elsewhere. But here are signs of a budding recovery:

• United's schedules to Asia are off 20 percent from before Sept. 11. But it reinstated a second daily Chicago-Tokyo flight and a daily Chicago-Beijing flight. United's planes to Asia were 86 percent full in March, up from 70 percent a year earlier.

• On April 19, American Airlines began daily Boeing 777 flights from New York's JFK to Tokyo. Then, on June 1, it adds to its Dallas/Fort Worth-Tokyo service.

• By August, Northwest Airlines will operate a record 149 weekly flights from the United States to Tokyo. Its Pacific flights in the first quarter were 87 percent full, a record.

• Cathay Pacific Airways this summer is reinstating twice-daily service between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Cathay cut one daily flight after Sept. 11. Its San FranciscoiHong Kong flights are moving to bigger Boeing 747s from Airbus A340s.

• Singapore Airlines reinstated Chicago-Amsterdam-Singapore service last week. On Aug. 2, it will launch Hong KongiLas Vegas three times a week.

• By July, Japan Airlines will have restored all five weekly flights between Tokyo and Las Vegas. Trans-Pacific revenue was off 40 percent last October from a year before, but only 10 percent in March.

JAL "is seeing our trans-Pacific business bouncing back," said spokeswoman Irene Jackson. "Compared to this time last year, U.S. passengers are up."

The April 18 opening of a second runway at Narita Airport is one factor. Although the 7,000-foot runway isn't long enough for trans-Pacific jumbo jets, it's fine for smaller jets on regional connecting flights. JAL, for example, has added more same-day connections from Tokyo to China.

"Airlines now can flow more flights over Tokyo," said Washington-based aviation consultant Morris Garfinkle, who works with Asian carriers.

Business from Japan is still hurting. Atkinson said Japanese group bookings to the United States are down 30 percent.

In October, a planned merger between JAL and Japan Air System will transform the Asia market. The combined carrier is expected to generate more revenue than any other carrier worldwide except American and United.