Japan Airlines intends to reintroduce a freighter fleet as part of its medium-term plan to grow the carrier’s operations and expand profitability.
The airline aims to convert three of its Boeing 767-300ERs to freighters. The first two 767Fs are scheduled to enter service late in the current fiscal year, which began April 1, JAL told Aviation Daily. The third will be introduced during the following fiscal year.
This would represent the first time JAL has operated its own freighters in 13 years. JAL’s last freighter was a Boeing 747-400F, which it retired in November 2010.
JAL plans to operate the first two 767Fs primarily on international routes between East Asia and Japan. When the third aircraft is added, the carrier will start flying the freighters on domestic routes too.
The addition of domestic routes will help maximize the freighters’ utilization, JAL said. The airline aims to form alliances with logistics partners to help capture more e-commerce and parcel delivery cargo. The freighters will also be available for charter and non-scheduled services.
JAL said the freighter operation will further its strategy to grow its cargo and mail business. Currently JAL provides cargo services through belly-hold capacity on passenger flights and by chartering freighters from other companies depending on demand.
The airline said the freighter business—particularly on domestic routes—will help aviation play a role in addressing logistics backlogs created by an expected shortage of truck drivers in Japan from next year.
Another aspect of the cargo strategy is to start operating A321 freighters in fiscal 2024. The carrier plans to introduce three A321Fs, converted from passenger aircraft, by fiscal 2025. They will be operated in partnership with Yamato Holdings, one of Japan’s leading delivery service providers.
The freighter moves are included in the latest update of JAL’s medium-term management plan, which extends through fiscal 2025. The plan also highlights fleet and network growth of JAL Group’s LCCs—Zipair and Spring Japan—and non-aviation areas of business.
JAL reported a group net profit of ¥34.4 billion ($254 million) for fiscal 2022, which ended March 31. This was its first annual profit since fiscal 2019. The group forecasts a higher net profit of ¥55 billion for the current fiscal year, which began April 1. It aims to achieve ¥100 billion in earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT). In the medium-term plan, JAL has set a goal of boosting its EBIT to at least ¥185 billion in fiscal 2025.
