In January 2022, JAL and Yamato Transport announced the former would operate three A321P2F freighters for the latter. Later it became clear JAL’s subsidiary Spring Japan would be the one actually operating the aircraft. Today, April 11, 2024, the partnership’s first revenue flight was operated.
Yamato Transport’s first revenue flight, operating under Spring Japan’s flight number IJ451, was operated by JA81YA from Tokyo Narita to Naha.
Going forward, the Yamato A321P2Fs will fly from Tokyo Narita to Sapporo New Chitose, Kitakyushu, and Naha, as well as from Naha to Kitakyushu. The schedule appears to have one aircraft starting each day in Kitakyushu and ending the day at Tokyo Narita with the other aircraft starting the day in Tokyo Narita and ending it in Kitakyushu.
One aircraft will fly:
- IJ422 / Kitakyushu – Tokyo Narita / 7:00AM – 8:50AM
- IJ403 / Tokyo Narita – Sapporo New Chitose / 10:10AM – 11:55AM
- IJ406 / Sapporo New Chitose – Tokyo Narita / 1:10PM – 2:55PM
- IJ405 / Tokyo Narita – Sapporo New Chitose / 4:25PM – 6:10PM
- IJ408 / Sapporo New Chitose – Tokyo Narita / 7:25PM – 9:10PM
The other will fly:
- IJ451 / Tokyo Narita – Naha / 6:00AM – 9:00AM
- IJ456 / Naha – Kitakyushu / 4:15PM – 6:00PM
- IJ426 / Kitakyushu – Tokyo Narita / 7:15PM – 9:05PM
- IJ425 / Tokyo Narita – Kitakyushu / 10:30PM – 12:25AM+1
Once the third aircraft enters the fleet, Yamato Transport plans to also start flying from Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo and Kitakyushu.
The key reason behind Yamato Transport, a delivery service that historically did not own or lease aircraft to add air service is Japan’s regulatory change that reduced the number of overtime hours truck drivers can work from April 1, 2024.
As part of Yamato’s partnership with JAL, Yamato is responsible for delivering the cargo to the airport and loading it; JAL is responsible for weighing the cargo, ramp handling, and aircraft maintenance; and Spring Japan is responsible for flight operations.
