Coronavirus upends JAL's launch of budget carrier Zipair

Japan Airlines has decided to delay the debut of its new budget airline, Zipair Tokyo, as the new coronavirus pandemic squelches demand for air travel and upends the global aviation industry. Zipair's scheduled first flight between Narita Airport near Tokyo and Bangkok on May 14 will be postponed for at least one month, according to sources at JAL. The outlook for the low-cost carrier has been seriously blighted by the worldwide spread of the deadly virus. JAL may need to reconsider the future of Zipair, and its overall business strategy, which aims to power the group's future growth by expanding its no-frills operations into medium- and long-haul flights. Zipair was created to drive this strategy. JAL will announce the delayed launch as early as Thursday. No new date for the rollout has been set. The company is also likely to postpone the start of Zipair's Narita-Seoul service, slated for July 1.<br/>