American, Hawaiian Air Apply for Direct Route to Tokyo

American Airlines (AAL) and Hawaiian Airlines (HA) are separately vying for a direct flight route to Tokyo's Haneda airport currently held by Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL).

Haneda, closest to downtown Tokyo, has traditionally handled domestic flights. It has been increasingly offering international flights, challenging rival Narita International Airport's status as the primary gateway to Japan), as part of the Japanese government's vision of a regional hub to handle a tourism boom and the 2020 Olympic Games.

Under a bilateral agreement, U.S. airlines may only operate up to four daily round-trip flights at Haneda Airport. Currently, Delta flies from Los Angeles and Seattle, Hawaiian Airlines from Honolulu, and United Airlines from San Francisco.

Hawaiian Airlines is seeking approval for daily flights from Kona International Airport, on Hawaii's Big Island, and American for daily flights from Los Angeles. If successful, American would compete directly with Delta and All Nippon Airways Co., which already fly from Los Angeles to Haneda.

In October, American asked the U.S. Department of Transportation, which allocates the routes, to revoke Delta's rights to fly to Haneda, saying Delta wasn't fully utilizing its Seattle-Haneda route. Delta said its lower flight frequency was seasonal. The DOT is reviewing the matter.

-Megumi Fujikawa contributed to this article.

Write to Maria Armental at [e-mail]

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