Japan Airlines link to Miami on runway, takeoff may be late

While a Miami-Dade County trade mission to Japan in late 2023 returned with news of a direct flight between Tokyo and Miami by 2025, Japan’s Consul General in Miami, Kazuhiro Nakai, told Miami Today this month that the new route is still on the runway, but 2025 might be a tad optimistic.

“It could two years’ time, three years’ time. We don’t know,” he said. The immediate key, he added, is “to keep promoting Miami to Japan Airlines (JAL).”

Consul General Nakai told Miami Today that the 50-person trade mission from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 “was successful in reminding JAL of the huge business potential” in Miami.

Incentives suggested by the trade mission during its meeting with officials in Japan included waiving landing fees at Miami International Airport for up to two years, Mr. Nakai said.

Following last year’s mission, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava stated in a press release that “Japan has long been recognized as one of South Florida’s key trading partners, with significant potential for growth across various sectors.

“Japan is Florida’s second-largest bilateral merchandise trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region, and over 30% of Japanese companies in Florida are based in Miami-Dade.

“Our strategic location and robust financial services sector make Miami-Dade an ideal destination for Japanese foreign investment and travelers,” she said in the release.

Discussions have been held with JAL representatives and both Mayor Levine Cava and Gov. Ron DeSantis, Mr. Nakai said.

Moving forward, he added, JAL expects to add three Boeing 787 Dreamliners to its fleet, as well as three flight crews. The most popular 787-9 variant, first launched in late 2013, typically carries around 290 passengers in a two-class configuration, but this can vary, based on JAL’s preferences, according to Boeing’s published specifications.

The plane’s maximum range is up to 9,773 miles (8,500 nautical miles), which should more than suffice for the 6,400-nautical-mile trip between Tokyo and Miami.

A nautical mile is longer than a statute mile because it is based on the circumference of the Earth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Specifically, a nautical mile, which equals 1.15078 statute mile, is defined as one minute of latitude, equal to one-sixtieth of a degree of latitude, according to the NOAA. A regular mile, 5,280 feet, is based on historical definitions.

The consulate’s Facebook page notes that Mayor Levine Cava, in her meeting with JAL representatives, emphasized the business potential the direct flight would bring about.

County Aviation Director Ralph Cutie made a presentation on MIA performance data to prove its direct flight feasibility.

Consul General Nakai told JAL that Miami is a gateway to Latin America and Caribbean countries, and that a direct flight would be a “game-changer of Japan’s trade and investment in this region.”

Mayor Levine Cava’s post-mission release emphasized that “over 30% of Japanese companies in Florida are based in Miami-Dade.

“Our strategic location and robust financial services sector make Miami-Dade an ideal destination for Japanese foreign investment and travelers,” the mayor’s release said.