Japan Airlines fleet

Japan Airlines operates a fleet of 150 wide-body and narrow-body aircraft manufactured by Airbus and Boeing.

Current fleet

As of January 2025 ^[update] , Japan Airlines operates the following aircraft: ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Japan Airlines fleet

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers					Notes
			F	J	W	Y	Total
Airbus A321neo	—	11	TBA					Deliveries to commence in 2028. [4]
Airbus A350-900	15	3	12	94	—	263	369	Order with 25 options. [5] One additional domestic-configured type to be delivered in 2025 as a replacement for the aircraft written off as Flight 516. [4]
				56		323	391
	—	20	TBA					To be equipped with international configuration. Deliveries to commence in 2027. [4]
Airbus A350-1000	9	4	6	54	24	155	239 [6]	Replacing Boeing 777-300ER.
Boeing 737-800	42	—	—	12	—	132	144
				20		145	165	Equipped with domestic configuration.
Boeing 737 MAX 8	—	21	TBA					Deliveries to commence in 2026. [7]
Boeing 767-300ER	24	—	—	24	—	175	199
				42		219	261	Equipped with domestic configuration.
			5			205	252
Boeing 777-300ER	12	—	8	49	40	147	244	To be retired and replaced by Airbus A350-1000 in 2025. [8] Includes the Boeing 777-300ER prototypes (JA731J and JA732J).
Boeing 787-8	23	—	—	30	—	156	186
						176	206
			6	58		227	291	Equipped with domestic configuration.
Boeing 787-9	22	10	—	44	35	116	195	Deliveries through 2027. [4] Order with 10 options. [9]
				52			203
				28	21	190	239
Boom Overture	—	20	TBA					Order with 20 options. [10]
JAL Cargo fleet
Boeing 767-300BCF	3	—	Cargo					[11]
Total	150	89

Gallery

• 
  Airbus A350-900
• 
  Airbus A350-1000
• 
  Boeing 737-800
• 
  Boeing 767-300ER
• 
  Boeing 777-300ER
• 
  Boeing 787-8
• 
  Boeing 787-9

As the Japanese government plans to add more slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport by 2020 (in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics), Japan Airlines intends to order more wide-bodies for growth in 2018 or 2019: it could exercise its 25 options on Airbus A350s on top of its 31 firm orders, due for delivery from 2019, and study others such as the proposed Boeing New Midsize Airplane or the 787-10 to add to its 787-9 with 10 remaining to be delivered. ^[12] Japan Airlines' Airbus A350 is currently maintained via the MRO subsidiary of Safran, OEMServices. ^[13]

Japan Airlines operates a mixture of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. The airline provides economy class service on all routes; business class (J) service with larger seats in the cabin front on most major domestic routes; premium economy on some international routes; business class on all international routes; and first class on some long-haul and domestic routes.

On 5 December 2017, JAL announced it had invested $10 million in the aircraft manufacturer Boom Supersonic, which is currently developing a new supersonic commercial airliner capable of seating up to 55 passengers. In exchange for its funding, JAL will be able to pre-order up to 20 Boom aircraft. ^[14]

Cargo

JAL Cargo is a freighter airline operating for JAL. It ended dedicated freighter aircraft operations in October 2010 after more than 30 years of service. It operated both propeller and jet aircraft through the years, most recently, Boeing 747-400s (including aircraft converted from passenger to freighter configuration) and Boeing 767-300Fs. However, in 2023, JAL announced that they would bring back dedicated cargo 767 freighters, in a response to changes in labor regulations forcing Japanese truckers to work less hours. ^[15]

Former fleet

A Boeing 727-100 at Tokyo's Haneda Airport in 1964.

A Boeing 747-100BSR/SUD with stretched upper deck in 1987.

A Boeing 747-400 with Yokoso! Japan tiles.

A Boeing 747-400D (Domestic Version).

JAL Cargo Boeing 747-400BCF just after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport in 2007.

A Boeing 777-200ER with Oneworld livery.

A Convair 880 at Los Angeles International Airport in 1964.

A Douglas DC-8-53 at New York in 1970. This aircraft would later crash as Japan Air Lines Flight 471 in 1972.

A McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40.

A McDonnell Douglas MD-11.

Japan Airlines previously operated the following aircraft: ^[16]

Japan Airlines historical fleet

Aircraft	Total	Introduced	Retired	Notes
Airbus A300-600R	22	2006	2011	Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
Airbus A350-900	1	2021	2024	Written off as flight JL516.
Beechcraft H18 [17]	Un­known	1969	Un­known	Used for pilot training. [18]
Boeing 727-100	Un­known	1965	1988
Boeing 737-400	7	1995	2003
Boeing 747-100	7	1970	2002	Launch customer with Pan Am.
	1		1977	Converted into a freighter and transferred to JAL Cargo.
Boeing 747-100SF	1	1977	1992
Boeing 747SR-100	9	1973	2005	Launch customer.
	1		1985	Crashed as flight JL123.
Boeing 747SR-100/SUD	2	1986	2006
Boeing 747-200B	23	1971	2007
	2		1973	Converted into freighters and transferred to JAL Cargo.
Boeing 747-200F	8	1991	2008
Boeing 747-200SF	3	1974	2007
Boeing 747-300	16	1983	2009
Boeing 747-400	28	1990	2011
	6		2005	Converted into freighters and transferred to JAL Cargo.
Boeing 747-400BCF	6	2006	2010
Boeing 747-400D	8	1991	2011	Launch customer.
Boeing 747-400F	2	1991	2011
Boeing 767-200	4	1985	2011
Boeing 767-300	20	1986	2021	Launch customer.
Boeing 767-300ERF	3	2007	2010	Production freighters for JAL Cargo before suspension of dedicated cargo services.
Boeing 777-200	8	1996	2021	[19]
	7			Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
Boeing 777-200ER	11	2002	2023	[8] [20]
Boeing 777-300	7	1998	2021	[19]
Boeing 777-300ER	1	2005	2024
Convair 880	9	1961	1971
Douglas DC-3	1	1951	1951	Operated invitational flights for three days on 27 August 1951.
Douglas DC-4	2	1952	1964
Douglas DC-6B	10	1954	1969	Operated the airline's inaugural international flight. Some aircraft were converted into freighters.
Douglas DC-7C	5	1958	1965	Some aircraft were converted into freighters.
Douglas DC-8-30	4	1960	1975
Douglas DC-8-50	15	1962	1982
	1		1972	Crashed as flight JL471.
Douglas DC-8-60	29	1968	1988
	1		1968	Crashed as flight JL2.
	1		1972	Crashed as flight JL446.
	1		1977	Crashed as flight JL715.
	1		1982	Crashed as flight JL350.
Douglas DC-8-60F	4	1968	1988
	1		1977	Crashed as flight JL1045.
Martin 2-0-2	2	1951	Un­known	Operated the airline's inaugural scheduled flight.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40	20	1976	2005
McDonnell Douglas MD-11	10	1993	2004	All MD-11s were named after J-Birds. Later sold to UPS Airlines for freighter conversion.
McDonnell Douglas MD-81	11	2006	2010	Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
McDonnell Douglas MD-87	8	2006	2008	Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30	16	2006	2013	Taken over from merged Japan Air System.
NAMC YS-11	1	1969	1970	Used for postal service.
	1			Used for passenger service.
Tupolev Tu-114 [21]	1	1967	1969	Used in association with Aeroflot.

References

1. "World Airliner Census 2017". Flight International. 15 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
2. "Domestic aircraft and seat configurations". Japan Airlines. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
3. "International aircraft and seat configurations". Japan Airlines. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
4. "Japan Airlines to Introduce 42 New Aircraft from Airbus and Boeing". Japan Airlines (Press release). March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
5. "Airbus and Japan Airlines sign their first ever order" (Press release). Japan Airlines. 7 October 2013. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
6. "JAL Unveils New International Flagship Airbus A350-1000 Cabin Interiors Ahead of Upcoming Service Launch to New York".
7. "Japan Airlines Selects 737-8 to Grow Sustainable World-Class Fleet" (Press release). Boeing Media Room. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
8. "Japan Airlines to replace B777s with A350s by late 1Q23". Ch-Aviation. 11 May 2021. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
9. "Japan Airlines orders 10 Boeing 787-9s, takes options for 10 more". Reuters. 22 July 2024.
10. "Boom - News - Japan Airlines and Boom Announce Strategic Partnership for Supersonic Air Travel". Boom. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
11. "Japan Airlines to re-introduce B767-300 freighters". Ch-Aviation. 4 May 2023.
12. Adrian Schofield (6 November 2017). "Japan Airlines Considers Fleet-Plan Options". Aviation Week Network. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
13. "JAL awards OEMS component support contract of its A350s". Avitrader. 11 November 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
14. "Thanks to supersonic flight, we may be able to cross the Atlantic in half the time". Futurism. 9 December 2017. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
15. Brett, Damian (2023-05-03). "JAL returns to the freighter market to combat truck driver shortage". Air Cargo News. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
16. "History of Aircraft". Japan Airlines. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
17. "World Airline Directory – Japan Air Lines". Flight International . Reed Business Information. 20 March 1975. p. 490. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
18. Phillips, Edward H. (1992). Beechcraft: Pursuit of Perfection; A History of Beechcraft Airplanes. Eagan, Minnesota: Flying Books. p. 27. ISBN   0-911139-11-7.
19. "Japan Airlines to retire its domestic Boeing 777s". Executive Traveller. 30 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
20. "Japan Airlines ends B777-200ER operations". Ch-Aviation. 13 November 2023.
21. "Japan, Soviet Sign Air Pact". The Akron Beacon Journal. AP. 21 Jan 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 1 January 2024– via newspapers.com.