The inaugural flight marks a historic moment in Middle East aviation

Doha, Qatar: Hamad International Airport (DOH) has announced the commencement of daily operations by Japan Airlines, linking Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) in Japan with Hamad International Airport in Qatar.

The inaugural flight, operated on 31 March 2024 by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft with a capacity of 203 seats, marks the first-ever flight to the Middle East by a Japanese airline – signifying a historic moment in the aviation industry.

Commenting on this historic partnership, Sujata Suri, Senior Vice President of Finance and Procurement at Hamad International Airport, said: 'We are thrilled to welcome Japan Airlines to the Middle East through its renowned hub in Doha. The launch of Japan Airlines’ daily flights from Tokyo Haneda to Hamad International Airport is a landmark achievement and a testament to the flourishing partnership between both Qatar and Japan. Combining Japan Airlines’ latest launch with Qatar Airways’ recent resumption to Osaka, is projected to result in a 50% increase in weekly flight frequency between Qatar and Japan, which underscores Hamad International Airport’s commitment to advancing global travel and enhancing passenger experiences”.

“Our new Doha service is the first direct flight to the Middle East operated by a Japanese airline. It perfectly complements JAL’s global network and enables customers to seamlessly connect to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America through our partnership with Qatar Airways, a member of the same oneworld alliance as JAL,” said Ross Leggett, Japan Airlines Managing Executive Officer, Route Marketing Senior Vice President. “The demand for business and leisure travel from Doha to Asia continues to grow, and we are excited to offer JAL’s renowned five-star service and unique approach to hospitality to even more travellers,” Leggett added.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori said: “We are very pleased to welcome our oneworld partner Japan Airlines to Doha and look forward to further building our successful relationship for the worldwide customers flying from and to Japan and North Asia. It is wonderful to see how our strategy to leverage Hamad International Airport’s position as a global five-star rated hub, continues to yield results and we hope to continue to attract even more partner airlines to this major gateway and stopover destination in the future.”

The inclusion of Japan Airlines as the 10th oneworld airline at Hamad International Airport further solidifies the airport’s status as a crucial oneworld hub – promising world-class services and connectivity to over 190 passenger destinations. The introduction of Japan Airlines' direct flights to Doha is expected to stimulate travel demand and foster stronger trade ties between Qatar and Japan. By offering more travel options for Japanese passengers to major destinations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East via Hamad International Airport, the service aims to promote increased cultural exchange and economic collaboration, benefiting passengers and industries alike.

Hamad International Airport’s recent partnerships continue to highlight Qatar's commitment to enhancing its tourism offerings in alignment with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 – showcasing the importance of the airport's innovative air service development strategy which has proven instrumental in facilitating numerous airlines' seamless establishment of routes to and from the region.