JAL boosts short-haul fleet

Japan Airlines has placed an order for up to 27 new short-range jets.

Last week, the national carrier confirmed a deal for 15 Embraer E170 and E190 regional jets, with options for a further 12. The firm order is valued at US$677 million at current list prices.

All the new aircraft will be operated by JAL’s regional subsidiary, J-Air, which is based at Osaka’s Itami Airport. The new aircraft, which are due to be delivered from 2015 onwards, will add to the existing 15 76-seat E170s operated by J-Air.

“We have been operating our E-Jets for five years and the aircraft have achieved an outstanding… reliability,” said Yoshiharu Ueki, president of JAL.

“Having the combination of E170s and E190s in our fleet will give us greater flexibility, enabling us to match capacity with demand on routes within our existing and future networks. Our passengers have been impressed with the space and comfort on board our E170. They value the fact that there is no middle seat.”

J-Air currently operates 176 daily flights to 21 Japanese cities including Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai and Fukuoka.

sourced:traveldailymedia.com