Japan's airlines are betting on a travel recovery this summer after the COVID-19 doldrums, as many Japanese look to head overseas for the first time in years now that fully vaccinated residents no longer face quarantine curbs on their return. After encouraging demand for flights to Hawaii during a just concluded popular holiday season, Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings Inc are hoping the outbound rise will help fill some of the gap from Japan's ongoing ban on foreign tourist arrivals. Japan on March 1 waived all quarantine and isolation requirements for triple-vaccinated residents returning from the United States and a range of other countries. It also lowered its US infection travel warning from April 1. "The fact that you don't have to quarantine upon return is a big reason why we chose Hawaii," said Masahiro Sugiyama, who was travelling with his wife and two children. An upswing in demand for flights to Hawaii, a long-favoured destination for many Japanese, is seen as a bellwether for the overall travel sector. It also shows that the airlines are keen to capitalise on pent up demand - even though higher fuel costs, a weak yen and expensive testing requirements are driving up costs for travellers.Last year, just 510,000 Japanese went abroad, according to government statistics, down from more than 20m in 2019. But international bookings before the start of the recent holiday break, known in Japan as 'Golden Week', surged: At ANA they jumped more than five-fold and JAL more than four-fold, the airlines said before the start of the holidays.ANA said it aims to bring back more flights to Los Angeles, New York and other destinations popular with Japanese tourists.<br/>
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Asiana Airlines, Korea's second-biggest carrier, said Monday it will expand flights on its European routes later this month as eased virus restrictions unleash pent-up demand. Asiana Airlines will increase flights on the routes from Incheon to Frankfurt and London beginning May 28 and May 30, respectively, the company said. The carrier will resume the routes from Incheon to Paris and Rome on June 18 and June 22, respectively, while planning to resume flights on routes from Incheon to Barcelona and Istanbul both on July 23, it said. With the planned flight resumption and expansion, Asiana said it will be able to offer half of the flights it used to serve on European routes before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the airline industry nearly 2 1/2 years ago. On non-European routes, Asiana reopened the Incheon-India route in late April and will expand the number of flights on routes to Sydney, Los Angeles, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila starting this month. Asiana currently operates 25 international routes, down from 71 before the pandemic, and seven domestic routes.<br/>
EVA Air has ordered one Boeing 777 freighter, as the airline eyes opportunities in a buoyant cargo market. The aircraft, which is expected to be delivered by end-2023, will add to its fleet of eight 777Fs, the last of which was delivered in December 2021. EVA Air president Clay Sun says: “We continually evaluate passenger and cargo market needs so that we can appropriately increase capacity, meet demand and enhance our risk management capabilities. We also regularly review our fleet composition and develop strategies that will best equip us to secure a competitive edge in these markets.” The carrier’s cargo operations has helped lift its earnings amid a collapse in passenger travel demand. Like its compatriot China Airlines, EVA Air doubled down on freight early on the pandemic, tapping into growing demand. Adds Sun: “Our immediate and long-term goals are the same. We aim to thrive in the booming air cargo markets of today and in the future, sustain the flexible services and unmatched reliability we are known for, and, at the same time, help meet global conservation and environmental goals.” In March, the carrier engaged Israel Aerospace Industries to convert three 777-300ER passenger aircraft into freighters, in a deal valued at around $120m. <br/>