Amid the current boost of post-pandemic travel, numerous airlines are also pouring significant resources into more ultra-long-haul flights.
Qantas Airways (QUBSF) is currently preparing to launch a New York City-Sydney route that will push out Singapore Airlines (SINGF) for the title of the longest flight in the world, while in November 2023 United Airlines (UAL) announced a spate of new flights to Asian cities such as Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei from different parts of the U.S.
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To take on these efforts to be the go-to airline for travelers on their way to Asia, American Airlines (AAL) just announced a new 14-hour route that is currently not offered by its U.S.-based competitors.
New long-haul flight will connect U.S. travelers to these Asian cities
A new NYC-Tokyo flight will fly a Boeing (BA) 777-200 and run for 14 hours and 35 minutes by departing at 11:25 a.m. Eastern time and arriving at Haneda Airport at 2:30 p.m.
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"Last week, the United States Department of Transportation formally approved American's application to become the only U.S. carrier operating nonstop service between JFK and HND," the airline announced.
On the way back, the flight will take off at 4:30 p.m. Tokyo time and return to New York at 4:35 p.m. local time. American Airlines positions it both as a way to avoid the transfer in Los Angeles or San Francisco that often awaits U.S. travelers on their way to Asia as well as be the stopover for travelers who want to go on to smaller Japanese cities like Osaka, Sapporo and Fukuoka.
While Japan's flagship carrier and American partner Japan Airlines (JPNRF) has long offered a flight between the two cities, American Airlines is playing up the fact that it will be the "only U.S. carrier operating nonstop service between JFK and HND" although carriers such as United offer a similar route from Newark International Airport (EWR.)
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New flight to give 'more ways to travel between the U.S. and Japan'
"American looks forward to launching flights between JFK and HND this summer," American SVP of Network and Schedule Planning Brian Znotins said in a statement. "This new service will complement flights offered by our joint business partner, Japan Airlines, giving more ways for our customers to travel between the U.S. and Japan."
The new route will launch on June 28 while the first tickets will be available for booking on American's website on Feb. 26. This increases American's daily service between the U.S. and Haneda Airport (a smaller airport closer to downtown Tokyo than the larger Narita) to four flights a day. Existing routes include a flight to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and two daily flights from Los Angeles' LAX amid increasing traveler interest in Asia as well as the business links between the U.S. and Japan.
This also comes on top of flights to Narita and Haneda offered by competitors like Delta Air Lines (DAL) and United. Between American and Japan Airlines, the airlines will reach a peak of 10 daily flights to Haneda and 17 daily flights between the U.S. and Japan by summer 2024.
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