ZIPAIR To Launch Flights From Tokyo To San Francisco Worldwide Airport

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The Japanese low-cost carrier has announced a new destination in the US as well as further regional expansion in Asia.

Photo: KITTIKUN YOKSAP | Shutterstock

ZIPAIR has announced that it will begin flights between Tokyo and San Francisco. Although the Japanese low-cost carrier has yet to announce a firm launch date for the route, flights are expected to begin in early summer. The transpacific flights connect ZIPAIR’s hub at Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) with San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and are operated by Boeing 787-8.

ZIPAIR will face stiff competition from Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and United Airlines on the Tokyo – San Francisco route this summer. Using the August 2023 example, all three airlines plan to fly twice daily between the two cities, with each airline connecting San Francisco to Narita and Haneda airports. According to Cirium, this equates to 1,415 seats per day per direction.

Celebrating the news of ZIPAIR’s imminent arrival, San Francisco International Airport Director Ivar C. Satero said:

“We are very excited to welcome ZIPAIR service between SFO and Tokyo this summer. With this move, travelers can enjoy the fantastic value of ZIPAIR along with SFO’s award-winning, premium airport experience, making this new service a success.”

Photo: ZIPAIR

The growing international route network of ZIPAIR

San Francisco International Airport will be ZIPAIR’s third destination in California. The airline began flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in December 2021 and began flights to San Jose International Airport (SJC) just under a year later. The flights are now operated daily or every five weeks. ZIPAIR also connects Tokyo to Honolulu International Airport (HNL). Outside the US, ZIPAIR flies to Bangkok (BKK), Seoul (ICN) and Singapore (SIN).

All of the airline’s flights are operated by Boeing 787-8 aircraft, of which ZIPAIR currently has four in its fleet and another three on order. Each aircraft can accommodate a total of 290 passengers in a two-class configuration – 18 in Business Class and 272 in Economy Class. The Boeing 787-8s previously flew for ZIPAIR’s parent company, Japan Airlines, and were handed over to the low-cost subsidiary when it began operations in 2020.

Photo: San Jose International Airport

If you’re traveling through San Francisco International Airport, why not stop by Terminal 3 and say hello to the Wag Brigade?

Another new route – Tokyo to Manila

In addition to its new route to San Francisco, ZIPAIR also announced plans to begin flights to Manila (MNL) later this year to accommodate connecting traffic between the Philippines and the United States. The airline’s President, Shingo Nishida, highlighted the rationale behind the launch of the two new services, saying:

“San Francisco has very strong demand from both Japan and Asia, Manila is seeing an increase in traffic to and from Japan, and more people are traveling to North America from the Philippines.”

As a sign of his confidence in the capabilities of the new routes, Nishida said the two new routes would become daily “as soon as possible”.

Photo: Viper Zero | Shutterstock

Have you flown ZIPAIR since the airline launched in 2020? Which route did you travel on and how do you rate the service of the Japanese low-cost carrier? Share your experience by commenting below.

Source: Aviation Wire, Cirium