Japan Airlines marks 70 years of flights linking Bangkok and Tokyo
Japan Airlines plans to attract more Japanese visitors to Thailand as a weak yen slows demand growth, while airlines could be affected if oil price rises persist.
- Japan Airlines (JAL) held a ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of its flight route between Bangkok and Tokyo.
- The route was originally established due to strong relations between Thailand and Japan and the high number of Thai tourists visiting the country.
- The inaugural service began on October 4, 1956, operating twice a week with a DC-6B aircraft as an extension of the Tokyo-Hong Kong route.
- Looking ahead, JAL plans to stimulate travel from Japan to Thailand to coincide with the 140th anniversary of Thai-Japanese relations in 2027.
Yuji Saito, vice president of Japan Airlines (JAL), presided over a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Bangkok–Tokyo route on Thursday (October 1, 2026).
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn attended and delivered a speech on travel ties and co-operation between Thailand and Japan, alongside Masato Otaka, Japan’s ambassador to Thailand, and Kalin Sarasin, president of the Thai-Japanese Association.
In an exclusive interview with Krungthep Turakij, Saito explained why JAL had chosen Bangkok as a destination 70 years ago.
Within Asia, Japan and Thailand enjoyed very good relations, and Thais were among the largest groups of Southeast Asian travellers visiting Japan, he said.
These factors had led JAL to launch the Bangkok–Tokyo route, which had been important to the airline since it began 70 years ago and remained so today.
Despite intense competition among airlines, Saito said he believed JAL’s strengths lay in the quality of its aircraft and service, which he attributed to its employees.
“All our employees want passengers to be happy when they fly with JAL. This is the difference that makes us stand out from others,” the vice president said.
On the Middle East conflict and the resulting rise in oil prices, Saito said JAL had experienced some impact when prices increased at the start of the conflict.
Good management had limited that impact, he said.
However, oil prices were now rising again, and airlines could be affected if that continued.
With 2027 marking the 140th anniversary of Thai–Japanese relations, JAL plans to stimulate travel demand from Japan, where growth has slowed because of the weak yen, and encourage more Japanese people to visit Thailand.
JAL opened its Bangkok branch office on September 17, 1956, on the ground floor of Shell’s building on Surawong Road, opposite the Montien Hotel.
It extended its Tokyo–Hong Kong route to Bangkok on October 4 that year, operating two flights a week with a DC-6B aircraft.
Source: Bangkokbiznews
