American Airlines Awarded Right to Fly From New York Kennedy to Tokyo (Haneda), the Busiest Airport in Asia

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Airlines, a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, received authority today from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to operate daily, year-round scheduled service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Tokyo International Airport at Haneda (HND), starting Oct. 1, 2010.

"We are very pleased to be able to start this new service between two of the world's principal financial centers.  As we told DOT, we have long wanted to fly from New York to Haneda, the closest airport to downtown Tokyo," said Will Ris, American's Senior Vice President – Government Affairs.  "The new service will strengthen our relationship with our oneworld partner, Japan Airlines (JAL), which has extensive operations at Haneda.

"Our success in winning this designation was greatly enhanced by the strong support from the Transport Workers Union and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.  We recognize and are grateful for the effectiveness of their advocacy," Ris added.

"American also publicly commends DOT for making this award, and we thank all of the government leaders who sent in letters to DOT on our behalf, including U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Reps. Gregory W. Meeks and Michael McMahon along with 15 other members of the New York congressional delegation," said Ris.  "We also appreciate the support we received from the U.S. Senators from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, and Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief.

"The U.S. Department of State successfully negotiated an Open Skies accord with Japan in Dec. 2009 that clears the way for U.S. airlines to serve Haneda once the new agreement is signed," Ris added.  "There has been no scheduled service between the U.S. and Haneda since Narita opened in 1978.

"With almost 70 million annual passengers, Haneda is the busiest airport in Asia, and the fourth busiest airport in the world," said Ris.  "It is in the public's best interest that New York is first in line for this important new service opportunity."

American will operate these new flights featuring 247-seat Boeing 777 aircraft, which hold 16 passengers in First Class, 37 in Business Class, and 194 in Economy Class.  Here are the tentative schedules:

The early evening departure from New York, and the early morning arrival in New York, will allow convenient round-trip connections to a number of beyond cities, including Boston, Miami, Orlando, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis and Washington (Reagan).

American currently operates nonstop service to: Tokyo's Narita airport using Boeing 777 aircraft from Chicago (daily), Dallas/Fort Worth (twice daily), Los Angeles (daily), and New York JFK (daily).  Under a codeshare arrangement between JAL and American, JAL displays its JL code on each of American's U.S.-Tokyo flights and American displays the AA code on daily flights operated by JAL between Narita and Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), and San Francisco.

On Feb. 12, American and JAL filed a joint application with DOT for antitrust immunity for an alliance agreement and a joint business agreement for services between North America and Asia.  Subject to government approvals, those agreements will allow greater cooperation between American and JAL, enhanced competition and improved air travel on trans-Pacific routes.

American's and JAL's oneworld partner, British Airways, previously announced its intention to create a joint business agreement with JAL so that, from April 2011 and subject to regulatory approval, the two carriers can enjoy greater revenue sharing opportunities that will offer real long-term value for Japan Airlines.  As part of a joint business venture, British Airways has offered to support and facilitate a new service between London Heathrow and Haneda.

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

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SOURCE American Airlines