For the first time, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Brisbane are connected by a brand new service launched today by Qantas.
The route re-establishes direct services between Tokyo and Brisbane after Covid severed flights from Tokyo’s Narita Airport in March 2020.
The switch from Tokyo’s Narita to Haneda Airport will save travellers more than an hour of commuting time.
Inbound flights on the route are timed to connect well with the rest of Qantas’ Australian domestic network, including popular destinations across Queensland, reopening tourism opportunities for the Sunshine State.
The Japanese market has been an important one for Queensland, according to Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO of Brisbane Airport Corporation.
“The restart of non-stop flights from Tokyo to Brisbane will once again open this pipeline to support jobs and the local tourism industry, with tourists spending up right across the Sunshine State.”
“This is a milestone service. It links the Olympic City of 2020 with the host city for 2032 Games. Tokyo and Brisbane, connected by a special Olympic bond,” according to Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO of Brisbane Airport Corporation.
The service will also be important for outbound tourists, according to John Simeone, Qantas’ regional general manager for Asia.
“Pre-COVID, Japan was one of the most popular destinations for Australian travellers and we’re seeing the demand for Tokyo bounce back strongly,” said Simeone.
“The new flight from Brisbane into Haneda Airport gives our customers much easier and faster access to downtown Tokyo and one of the world’s most important business markets, saving more than an hour of transit time in getting to the city.”
Qantas is deploying Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the route, capable of carrying up to 297 passengers and providing almost 900 seats each week.
Brisbane to Haneda services will operate Monday, Thursday and Saturday departing at 11:50am and arriving 8pm in Haneda.
Flights will depart Haneda at 9:30pm on Monday, Thursday and Saturday and arrive in Brisbane at 7:35am.
Featured image: Alley of Memories, Shinjuku, Tokyo (iStock/bernersteven)
