JAL GROUP NEWS
Japan Airlines Marks
60th Anniversary
of Los Angeles Service
Los Angeles, CA – May 29, 2019: Japan Airlines (JAL), a member of the oneworld® alliance and a certified 5-Star Airline by Skytrax, marked its 60th anniversary of service between Los Angeles and Tokyo today by holding a special ceremony at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Distinguished guests in attendance at the gate event in Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) included Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Samson Mengistu, and Japan Airlines’ Representative Director and Chairman, Mr. Yoshiharu Ueki.
"As the first airline from Japan to connect Los Angeles with Tokyo, we couldn't be prouder of our rich heritage and our 60-year relationship with the greater Los Angeles community," said Kiichi Nakajima, Japan Airlines' Vice President and Regional Manager, Southwestern Region. "Japan Airlines' mission is to provide a superior travel experience and I want to express my deep appreciation to our loyal customers and many partners for your support and dedication."
Japan Airlines' first flight, operated by a propeller-powered DC-7C named "The City of Los Angeles," departed Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) at 10:30 p.m. on May 28, 1959, and landed in Los Angeles on May 29, some 25 hours later after making one stop in Honolulu. Upon arrival, the 40 passengers onboard were greeted with great fanfare, including live music played by the Westchester High School Band. Today, JAL’s daily nonstop LAX – Tokyo (Narita) service operates with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a four-class configuration.
Japan Airlines and joint business partner American Airlines (AA) currently offer a total of four daily flights between LAX and Japan, including two flights to Tokyo (Narita), one to Tokyo (Haneda) and one to Osaka (Kansai).*
Japan Airlines is committed to providing customers with the highest levels of flight safety and quality in every aspect of its service and aims to become one of the most preferred airlines in the world.
*JAL operates LAX-NRT and LAX-KIX daily and marketed by AA; AA operates LAX-NRT and LAX-HND daily and marketed by JL.
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About Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines (JAL) was founded in 1951 and became the first international airline in Japan. A member of the oneworld® alliance, the airline now reaches 349 airports in 52 countries and regions together with its codeshare partners with a modern fleet of more than 230 aircraft. JAL Mileage Bank (JMB), the airline's loyalty program, is one of the largest mileage programs in Asia. Awarded as one of the most punctual major international airlines and a certified 5-Star Airline by Skytrax, JAL is committed to providing customers with the highest levels of flight safety and quality in every aspect of its service and aims to become one of the most preferred airlines in the world. JAL currently operates to Japan from 11 U.S. gateways, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, Kona and Guam.
Connect with Japan Airlines at www.jal.com
or on facebook.com/JapanAirlinesWorldwide
and instagram.com/japanairlines_jal.