Japan Airlines and American Airlines’ application for anti-trust immunity has been given the green light by governments both sides of the Pacific.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan today (October 22) formally approved the application.
Earlier this month, the US Department of Transportation also issued an order tentatively approving the request for anti-trust immunity.
Masaru Onishi, president of JAL, said: "There has been and will be more developments in the Japanese aviation sector and we are intent on keeping the marketplace competitive so that customers can benefit from more travel options and enhanced services.”
The formal signing of Open Skies between the US and Japan is “anticipated to be soon”, allowing JAL and AA to enter a joint business agreement and cooperate commercially on routes between North America and Asia.
New routes are soon to start for both airlines between the US and Tokyo International Airport at Haneda, as well as more codeshare agreements.
AA plans to launch daily flights between New York’s JFK International airport and Haneda on January 20, while JAL will start daily flights from Haneda to San Francisco and Honolulu from the end of this month (October 31).
The new routes mark Haneda airport’s first international flights in more than 30 years, after the opening of a fourth runway and, this week, a third passenger terminal.
Haneda airport is 30 minutes by train from downtown Tokyo. It is also Japan’s main hub for domestic flights.
The airline alliance Oneworld, of which JAL and AA are members, released a statement this week stating it will be “number one” at the airport, with more international capacity than any other alliance.
Earlier this year, JAL was forced to file for bankruptcy after huge losses.
Onishi said: “I am committed to the speedy recovery of the JAL Group and am confident that the joint business with American will contribute to the growth and stability of both our businesses in a volatile yet indispensable industry."