Japan Airlines

History

Founding

Japan Airlines Co. was established on 1 August 1951, with the government of Japan recognising the need for a reliable air transportation system to help Japan recover in the aftermath of World War II. The airline was founded with an initial capital of ¥100 million; its headquarters were located in Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo. Between 27 and 29 of August, the airline operated invitational flights on a Douglas DC-3 Kinsei, leased from Philippine Airlines. On 25 October, Japan's first post-war domestic airline service was inaugurated, using a Martin 2-0-2 aircraft, named Mokusei, and crew leased from Northwest Orient Airlines subsidiary TALOA.

On 1 August 1953, the National Diet passed the Japan Airlines Company Act (日本航空株式会社法, Nihon Kōkū Kabushiki-gaisha Hō) forming a new state-owned Japan Airlines on 1 October, which assumed all assets and liabilities of its private predecessor. By 1953, the JAL network extended northward from Tokyo to Sapporo and Misawa, and westward to Nagoya, Osaka, Iwakuni, and Fukuoka.

On 2 February 1954, the airline began international flights, carrying 18 passengers from Tokyo to San Francisco on a Douglas DC-6B City of Tokyo via Wake Island and Honolulu. The flights between Tokyo and San Francisco are still Flights 1 and 2, to commemorate its first international service. The early flights were advertised as being operated by American crews and serviced by United Airlines in San Francisco.

The airline, in addition to the Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-6B, and Martin 2-0-2s, operated Douglas DC-4s and Douglas DC-7Cs during the 1950s. JAL flew to Hong Kong via Okinawa by 1955, having pared down its domestic network to Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo. By 1958, the Hong Kong route had been extended to Bangkok and Singapore. With DC-7Cs, JAL was able to fly nonstop between Seattle and Tokyo in 1959.

Jet era

In 1960, the airline took delivery of its first jet, a Douglas DC-8 named Fuji, introducing jet service on the Tokyo-Honolulu-San Francisco route. JAL went on to operate a fleet of 51 DC-8s, retiring the last of the type in 1987. Fuji flew until 1974 and was then used as a maintenance training platform until 1989; its nose section was stored at Haneda Airport and eventually put on public display at the JAL Sky Museum in March 2014.

JAL also began flying to Seattle and Hong Kong in 1960. At the end of 1961, JAL had transpolar flights from Tokyo to Seattle, Copenhagen, London, and Paris via Anchorage, Alaska, and to Los Angeles and San Francisco via Honolulu, Hawaii.

During the 1960s, JAL flew to many new cities, including Moscow, New York, and Busan. DC-8 flights to Europe via Anchorage started in 1961; flights to Europe via India started in 1962, initially with Convair 880s. Under government pressure, Boeing 727s were acquired for domestic services in 1965 to allow the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to issue an import license for All Nippon Airways' (ANA) own fleet of 727s.

By 1965, Japan Airlines was headquartered in the Tokyo Building in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Around this time, over half of JAL's revenue was generated on transpacific routes to the United States, and the airline was lobbying the United States for fifth freedom rights to fly transatlantic routes from the East Coast. The transpacific route was extended east from San Francisco to New York in November 1966 and to London in 1967; flights between San Francisco and London ended in December 1972.

Between 1967 and 1969, JAL had an agreement with Aeroflot to operate a joint service between Tokyo and Moscow using a Soviet Tupolev Tu-114. The flight crew included one JAL member, and the cabin crew had five members each from Aeroflot and JAL. The weekly flight started in April 1967.

In 1972, under the 45/47 system (45/47体制, yongo-yonnana taisei), the so-called "aviation constitution" enacted by the Japanese government, JAL was granted flag carrier status to operate international routes. The airline was also designated to operate domestic trunk routes in competition with ANA and Toa Domestic Airlines.

Deregulation and privatisation

Japan began considering airline deregulation in the late 1970s, with the government announcing the abandoning of the 45/47 system in 1985. In 1987, Japan Airlines was completely privatised, and the other two airlines in Japan, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air System, were permitted to compete with JAL on domestic and international routes. The increased competition resulted in changes to the airline's corporate structure, and it was reorganized into three divisions: international passenger service, domestic passenger service, and cargo (including mail) service. In 1988, JAL purchased a 7.5% shareholding in Air New Zealand. This was sold in 1994.

Japan Airlines began the 1990s with flights to evacuate Japanese citizens from Iraq before the start of the Gulf War. In October 1990, Japan Air Charter was established, and in September 1996, an agreement with the Walt Disney Company made Japan Airlines the official airline of Tokyo Disneyland. JAL Express was established in April 1997, with Boeing 737 aircraft. In the 1990s, the airline experienced economic difficulties that stemmed from recessions in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as a domestic downturn. Despite years of profits since 1986, the airline began to report operating losses in 1992. Cost-cutting, including the formation of the low-cost JAL Express domestic subsidiary and the transfer of tourist operations to JALways (the successor to Japan Air Charter), helped return the airline to profitability in 1999.

In 1997, the airline flew Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto to Peru to help negotiate in the Japanese embassy hostage crisis. Japan Airlines placed orders for Boeing 777s during the 1990s, allowing for fleet renewal. It was one of eight airlines participating in the Boeing 777 design process, shaping the design to their specifications.

In 2001, Japan Air System and Japan Airlines agreed to merge; and on 2 October 2002, they established a new holding company called Japan Airlines System (日本航空システム, Nihon Kōkū Shisutemu), forming a new core of the JAL Group. Aircraft liveries were changed to match the design of the new JAL Group. At that time, the merged group of airlines was the sixth largest in the world by passengers carried.

On 1 April 2004, JAL changed its name to Japan Airlines International and JAS changed its name to Japan Airlines Domestic. JAS flight codes were changed to JAL flight codes, JAS check-in desks were refitted in JAL livery, and JAS aircraft were gradually repainted. On 26 June 2004, the parent company Japan Airlines System was renamed to Japan Airlines Corporation.

2008 financial crisis and bankruptcy

In 2009, Japan Airlines suffered steep financial losses, despite remaining Asia's largest airline by revenue. As a result, the airline embarked on staff cuts and route cutbacks in an effort to reduce costs. The carrier also received ¥100 billion through capital injection and credit from the Japanese government as part of the proposed bankruptcy. In September 2009, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism formed a task force aimed at aiding a corporate turnaround at JAL, which examined various cost-cutting and strategic partnership proposals. Haruka Nishimatsu, the president and CEO of JAL, already known for eschewing many executive perks, cut his salary to the same amount that JAL pilots were earning during the financial crisis.

One proposal considered was to merge JAL with ANA, which would create a single larger international airline and replace Japan Airlines International; however, media reports suggested that ANA would oppose this proposal given its comparatively better financial performance as an independent carrier. The task force also examined possible partnerships with foreign carriers.

After weeks of speculation, JAL applied for protection under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law (the Japanese equivalent of Administration in the United Kingdom or a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the United States) on 19 January 2010. JAL would receive a ¥300 billion cash injection and have debts worth ¥730 billion waived, in exchange for which it will cut its capital to zero, cut unprofitable routes and reduce its workforce by 15,700 employees—a third of its 47,000 total. JAL's main creditors (Mizuho Corporate Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation) originally objected to the bankruptcy declaration, but changed their positions after the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan recommended court protection, according to a senior bank official. Shares of JAL were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on 20 February 2010. At a time, its stock was considered one of "bluest of blue chips" of Japan. At the time, the bankruptcy was the largest Japanese bankruptcy involving a non-financial company and the fourth largest in Japan's history.

Kazuo Inamori, founder of Kyocera and KDDI, took over as CEO of JAL. Transport minister Seiji Maehara personally visited Kyocera headquarters in late 2009 to persuade Inamori to accept the position; task force leader Shinjiro Takagi believed that appointing a proven entrepreneur CEO was necessary to fix the various problems at JAL. Japan Air Commuter president Masaru Onishi was promoted to president of JAL.

Relisting and re-expansion

JAL emerged from bankruptcy protection in March 2011. In July, ETIC selected Nomura Holdings, Daiwa Securities, MUFG Bank, Morgan Stanley, Mizuho Securities, SMBC, and Nikko Securities to underwrite the sale of its equity stake in JAL, without specifying amounts or dates. On 6 January 2012, JAL announced its intent to relist its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in an initial public offering (IPO) of up to ¥1 trillion, which would be the largest offering in Japan in more than a year. The airline completed its IPO on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TYO: 9201) on 19 September 2012. The Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan sold all its holdings (96.5%) in JAL for ¥650 billion, greater than its ¥350 billion investment in 2010.

Following its exit from bankruptcy protection, JAL began several new partnerships within the Oneworld alliance. The transpacific joint venture between JAL and American commenced in April 2011. JAL formed Jetstar Japan, a low-cost carrier joint venture with Qantas subsidiary Jetstar Airways, in July. In 2012, JAL and British Airways parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) submitted applications to the Japanese government and European Union respectively in seeking a joint venture business operation for flights between Japan and Europe. Finnair applied to join the JV with IAG in July 2013, in conjunction with JAL starting new nonstop service to Helsinki.

COVID-19 pandemic

Between 2020 and 2021, Japan Airlines incorporated numerous safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Japan Airlines undertakes JAL FlySafe hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus, to provide all Japan Airlines guests with a safe and secure travel experience. Measures taken by Japan Airlines to protect guests and keep them safe from infection include face masks and face guards worn by airport staff, disinfecting areas around seats, including tables, armrests, screens, and controllers, and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces, such as lavatory doorknobs and faucet handles.

On June 18, 2021, Japan airlines announced it had conducted the first flight with loading two different types of Sustainable Aviation Fuel produced domestically in Japan. The flight was directed from Tokyo (Haneda) to Sapporo (Shin-Chitose) and used 3,132 litters (9.1% mixing ratio) of SAF sourced from wood chips and from microalgae. It was the first flight in the world to use biofuel derived from gasified wood chips and to mix two different types of biofuels.

In May 2023, JAL announced its intention to reintroduce dedicated cargo service using Boeing 767-300BCF aircraft converted from its passenger fleet. This service is planned to begin in early 2024. The company retired its previous fleet of Boeing 747 freighters in 2011.

Recent events

In February 2026, Qantas announced it will exit its 33.3% stake in Jetstar Japan by July 2026, ending its 14-year joint venture with Japan Airlines and Tokyo Century. The low-cost carrier will rebrand by June 2027.

Senior management

Chairman: Yuji Akasaka (since April 2024)

President and CEO: Mitsuko Tottori (since April 2024)

In January 2024, the company announced that Mitsuko Tottori would succeed Yuji Akasaka as president. As of 1 April 2024, Tottori became the first female president in the history of the company. She began her career as a flight attendant at Toa Domestic Airlines in 1985 after graduating from a two-year college. With over 30 years of experience as a flight attendant, Tottori was the senior managing director in charge of cabin safety and passenger service. Akasaka replaced Yoshiharu Ueki as chairman.

List of former chairmen

Aiichirō Fujiyama (1951–1953)

Kunizo Hara (1953–1960)

Kōgorō Uemura (1960–1969)

Teruo Godo (1969–1971)

Shizuma Matsuo (1971–1972)

Ataru Kobayashi (1973–1977)

Kōgorō Uemura (1977–1978); second term

Shozo Hotta (1979–1981)

Shizuo Asada (1981–1983)

Nihachiro Hanamura (1983–1986)

Junji Itoh (1986–1988)

Fumio Watanabe (1988–1991)

Susumu Yamaji (1991–1998)

Isao Kaneko (2003–2005)

Toshiyuki Shinmachi (2006–2010)

Kazuo Inamori (2010–2012)

Masaru Onishi (2012–2018)

Yoshiharu Ueki (2018–2024)

List of former presidents and CEOs

Seijiro Yanagida (1951–1961)

Shizuma Matsuo (1961–1971)

Shizuo Asada (1971–1981)

Yasumoto Takagi (1981–1985)

Susumu Yamaji (1985–1990)

Matsuo Toshimitsu (1990–1995)

Akira Kondo (1995–1998)

Isao Kaneko (1998–2005)

Toshiyuki Shinmachi (2005–2006)

Haruka Nishimatsu (2006–2010)

Masaru Onishi (2010–2012)

Yoshiharu Ueki (2012–2018)

Yuji Akasaka (2018–2024)

Corporate affairs and identity

Business trends

The key trends of Japan Airlines are (as at the financial year ending March 31):

Organization

In addition to its operations under the JAL name, the airline owns five domestic airlines which feed or supplement mainline JAL flights:

J-Air (JLJ) (member of oneworld) – regional jet services based in Itami Airport

Japan Air Commuter (JAC) (member of oneworld) – turboprop services based in Kagoshima and several destinations out of Kagoshima

Hokkaido Air System (HAC) (member of oneworld) – turboprop services based in Hokkaido and several destinations out of Hokkaido

Japan Transocean Air (JTA) (member of oneworld) – jet services from/to Okinawa

Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC) – turboprop services based in Okinawa

Former subsidiaries:

JALways was the airline's international subsidiary, which handled low-yield flights to resort destinations in Hawaii, Oceania, and Southeast Asia.

JAL Express (JEX) was the airline's low-cost carrier for jet services between secondary cities, it merged into Japan Airlines in 2014.

Japan Asia Airways (JAA) was the airline's subsidiary formed in 1975 to allow JAL to fly to the Republic of China (Taiwan) without compromising traffic rights held by the airline for destinations in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The mainland does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation but instead as a breakaway province and threatened to ban any foreign airline that has a Taiwan route from flying to the mainland. Japan Asia Airways was dissolved in 2008 when JAL was privatized, allowing the airline to fly to Taiwan in its own right.

JALUX Inc., established in 1962, is the airline's procurement business which handles various work for the company, including the JAL SELECTION merchandise and in-flight meals and refreshments, supplies for Blue Sky and JAL-DFS shops, aircraft fuel components, cabin services, and in-flight duty-free. JALUX merged with JAS Trading on 1 January 2004, to unify support operations for the JAL group.

Headquarters

The headquarters, the Nomura Fudosan Tennozu Building (野村不動産天王洲ビル, Nomura Fudōsan Tennōzu Biru), is located on Tennōzu Isle in Higashi Shinagawa, Shinagawa, Tokyo. The 26-floor building was a project of the Kajima Corporation. The building, which also has two underground levels, has a land area of 11,670.4 square metres (125,619 sq ft) and a floor area of 82,602.11 square metres (889,121.7 sq ft).

Several divisions of JAL, including JALPAK, JAL Aero-Consulting, and JAL Hotels are located in the building. The building also houses the Japan office of American Airlines. It is also known as the JAL Building (ＪＡＬビルディング, JAL Birudingu), the Japan Airlines Headquarters, and the Shinagawa Kyodo Building.

When JAL was originally established in 1951, its headquarters were in Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo. By 1965, Japan Airlines was headquartered in the Tokyo Building in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The Yomiuri Shimbun stated that because Japan Airlines worked closely with the Japanese government, people mockingly referred to the Tokyo Building as "a branch office of the transport ministry."

On 28 June 1996, construction was completed on the JAL Building. On 27 July 1996, JAL moved its headquarters into the JAL Building. The Flight Operation Center at the JAL Building began on 20 September 1996. A holding company for JAL and Japan Airlines System, a carrier merging into JAL, was established on 2 October 2002; the head office of that company, Japan Airlines System (JALS) (日本航空システム, Nihon Kōkū Shisutemu), was in 2-15-1 Kōnan in Shinagawa Intercity, Minato, Tokyo. On 11 August 2003, the headquarters of JAS moved from Haneda Maintenance Center 1 to the JAL Building. On 25 November 2003, the JALS headquarters moved to the JAL Building. Originally the JAL Building was co-owned by Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Trading Co.; they co-owned a subsidiary that owned the JAL Building. In 2004, the building was to be sold to Nomura Real Estate for 65 billion yen. The contract date was 1 December 2004, and the handover date was 18 March 2005.

The JAL Subsidiary JALUX Inc. at one time had its headquarters in the JAL Building. One group of employees moved out of the building on 26 July 2010, and one moved out on 2 August 2010.

Livery

The JAL livery is called the tsurumaru (鶴丸) or "crane circle." It is an image of a Japanese red-crown crane with its wings extended in full flight. The Tsurumaru JAL logo was created in 1958 by Jerry Huff, the creative director at Botsford, Constantine and Gardner of San Francisco, which had been the advertising agency for Japan Airlines from its earliest days. JAL had used several logos up until 1958. When the airline arranged to buy new Douglas DC-8s, it decided to create a new official logo for the inauguration of its jet service worldwide.

In the creation of the logo, Huff was inspired by the personal crests of Samurai families. In a book he'd been given, We Japanese, he found pages of crests, including the crane. On his choice of the crane, he writes: "I had faith that it was the perfect symbol for Japan Airlines. I found that the Crane myth was all positive—it mates for life (loyalty), and flies high for miles without tiring (strength)".

The tsurumaru livery was in use until 2002 when it was replaced by a livery called the "Arc of the Sun." The livery featured the motif of a rising sun on a creamy parchment-colored background.

JAL is a strong supporter of UNICEF and expresses its support by having a "We Support UNICEF" logo on each aircraft.

Following its corporate restructuring, Japan Airlines returned to the classic tsurumaru logo starting on 1 April 2011. A Boeing 767-300 (JA8299) was the last remaining aircraft that had the "Arc of the Sun" livery until it was retired in January 2016.

JAL is known for adopting special liveries. A Boeing 747 (JA8908) carried a World Cup soccer livery in 2002. Another Boeing 747 (JA8907) was the Matsui Jet, featuring the famous Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui in 2003. One of the airline's Boeing 767-300 (JA8253) was the Expo 2005 aircraft.

Various aircraft in the JAL fleet also carry a Yokoso Japan logo supporting the Visit Japan campaign, in various forms. In late 2005, Japan Airlines began using a Boeing 777 (JA8941), featuring Japanese actor Shingo Katori on one side, and the television series Saiyuki, along with its main character "Goku" on the other side.

Branding

In 1959, Japan Airlines adopted their logo, which is a crane known as the 'Tsuru' crane, along with a livery featuring a white top with the text "JAPAN AIR LINES" in capital italic letters, an exposed-metal bottom, and red and dark blue pinstripes separating the two.

Landor Associates created JAL's 1989 brand identity, along with a livery that featured a new stylized JAL initialism with a red square and grey band on the front of fuselage, and the name "Japan Airlines" featured in small black text. The 1989 livery retained the 'Tsuru' crane logo on the tail but with the same stylised JAL lettering incorporated within it.

After Japan Airlines and Japan Air System merged in 2004, the Tokyo office of Landor and JAL worked together again to create a new brand identity. Landor devised a livery referred to as the "Arc of the Sun". The 2000s rebranding began in April 2002 and was completed in April 2004. The brand identity firm designed 300,000 specific items for JAL. The JAL acronym remained, but it was changed to include a curved bar, which replaced the simple red square and gray rectangle used from 1989. The curved bar was likened to a samurai sword. The tail now featured a quarter sun outlined in silver.

JAL changed its branding again on 1 April 2011 as part of their post-bankruptcy restructuring. The new livery was reminiscent of the original 1959 one, featured the tsurumaru back on the vertical stabilizer and the full name in capital italic letters above the windows, but did not include the pinstripes or exposed metal bottom, and retained the two-word "JAPAN AIRLINES" spelling over the original "JAPAN AIR LINES". Repainting was completed in January 2016.

Destinations

Japan Airlines serves 60 domestic destinations and 39 international destinations in Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania, excluding codeshare agreements. The airline's international hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, Osaka's Kansai International Airport and Itami Airport. Japan Airlines and its subsidiaries currently operate over 4,500 international flights and 26,000 domestic flights monthly.

In the fiscal year ended 31 March 2009, the airline introduced or increased services on ten international routes, including between Tokyo (Narita) and New York City, and between Osaka (Kansai) and Shanghai; and it ceased operations on four international routes, including between Tokyo (Narita) and Xi'an, and between Osaka (Kansai) and Qingdao. Domestically, JAL suspended 14 routes, including between Sapporo and Okinawa. Additionally, the airline expanded codesharing alliance with fellow Oneworld partners like American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Finnair, and other airlines, including Air France, China Eastern and Jetstar.

In the early years, Narita International Airport has been the main hub of international and freight flights, and that remains present. Nowadays, Haneda Airport is becoming a major international hub due to its close proximity to the Tokyo metropolis, and the heavy expansion occurring there.

Joint ventures

In addition to the above codeshares, Japan Airlines has entered into joint ventures with the following airlines:

Codeshare agreements

Japan Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Services

Cabin classes

In January 2024, Japan Airlines debuted new First, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy class cabins on their A350-1000 fleet of aircraft. These cabins include enclosed suites, manufactured by Safran GB, and in-seat audio in the First and Business class cabins. The A350-1000 includes 6 First class seats in a 1-1-1 layout, 54 Business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout, 24 Premium Economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout, and 155 Economy seats in a 3-3-3 layout.

JAL introduced new international First and Executive Class seats: the JAL Suite for First Class, featured a seat 20 percent roomier than the Skysleeper Solo in a 1-2-1 configuration; and the JAL Shell Flat Neo Seat for Executive Class Seasons, a slightly revised version of the original Shell Flat Seat, with a wider seat; expanded center console; and the world's first in-flight photo art exhibit, Sky Gallery. These seats, along with the Premium Economy seats, debuted on Japan Airlines Flights 5 and 6, operated on the Tokyo–New York route on 1 August 2008. It expanded to the Tokyo–San Francisco route on 13 September 2008, and the Tokyo–Chicago and Los Angeles in 2009. Between 2010 and 2017, the new cabin was also flown on flights from Narita to Jakarta, the only Asian destination for which the new cabin was used during that period.

In 2013, JAL debuted new versions of its economy and premium economy seats called Sky Premium and Sky Wider Economy respectively. The Sky Premium seats, found on selected 777-300s and soon 787s, feature the same width as the Sky Shell seats but with a 4" larger seat pitch of 42" and a 3" larger recline of up to 10" compared to a 38" pitch and 7" recline on the Sky Shell seats. The Sky Wider Economy seats, found on select 767s and select 777-300s, feature slimmer seats with 4" more legroom, and another inch of width totaling up to 35" of seat pitch, and a 19" width compared to the 31" pitch and 18" width of standard economy seats, plus a larger PTV screen of up to 11". The newer 787s will feature a new version of the Sky Wider seats called Sky Wider II, which will feature 5" more legroom and 2" more width totaling up to 36" of seat pitch and a 20" width in a less dense 2-4-2 setup instead of the 3-3-3 setup commonly used in a 787's economy cabin.

In premium cabins, JAL introduced fully lie-flat seats, branded as Sky Suite in Business Class cabin and enhanced First Suite seats in First Class cabin. The Sky Suite is in a staggered 2-3-2 setup that offer direct aisle access to all business class passengers. These can be found on all 13 of JAL's Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (named SS7), 10 of JAL's 787-8 aircraft (named SS8) and eight of JAL's 787-9 aircraft (named SS9). Later in 2015, JAL introduced a new version of Sky Suite, called Sky Suite II, in order to fit lie-flat seats on its new international 767-300ER fleet (named SS6), in a 1-2-1 setup. Since the seats are less wide than the original Sky Suite, SS6 aircraft are often seen on shorter international routes, like inter-Asian routes and Hawaiian routes. In 2016, as JAL was upgrading its Boeing 777-200ER fleet used on selected inter-Asian and Hawaiian flights, JAL introduced a third version of Sky Suite, called Sky Suite III, which is a lie-flat reverse-herringbone arranged seat. This seat is equipped on JAL's most Boeing 777-200ER fleet (named SS2) and five of JAL's Boeing 787-9 fleet (named SS9 II) in a 1-2-1 setup. Like SS6 aircraft, SS2 and SS9 II aircraft are operating on shorter international routes.

In-flight entertainment

MAGIC, JAL's in-flight entertainment system, supported by the JAL Mooove! (formerly Entertainment Network), features the latest hit movies and videos, games and audio programs. There are six generations of the MAGIC system: MAGIC-I, MAGIC-II, MAGIC-III, MAGIC-IV, MAGIC-V and the new MAGIC-VI. Introduced on 1 December 2007, the MAGIC-III system provides Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) entertainment to all passengers. The number of movie, music, video and game channels on MAGIC-III was doubled from 57 to 130 by 2008; and it is installed on all seats on 767-300ER, 777-200ER and 777-300ER aircraft. Aircraft with MAGIC-I and MAGIC-II have movies that automatically start when the AVOD system is turned on—once the aircraft reaches cruise level—and economy class passengers can tune in to watch the movie in progress; and all movies restart upon completion. Executive and First Class passengers have full AVOD control. MAGIC systems also have JAL's duty-free shopping catalogue, including flight crew recommendations and a video of specials available on the flight. MAGIC-V will feature mostly the same entertainment as MAGIC-III, but with a touch screen controller, along with a handset. There will be USB ports for iPod connectivity, and an easier to control handset. (introduced on selected 767-300ER routes).

The MAGIC-III system is used on internationally configured 767-300 with Skyluxe Seat, older internationally configured 767-300ER with Skyluxe Seat, all 777-200ER, older 777-300ER with Skysleeper Solo/Suite first class and Shell Flat Seat/Neo Business class. The MAGIC-IV is used on internationally configured 737-800s, along with a newer look of Skyluxe Seat. It uses 9-inch touchscreens by Panasonic SFX. The MAGIC-V system is deploying across the fleet, with selected 767-300ERs (Skyrecliner seat) and 787-8 (Shell Flat Neo seat) getting the IFE. Followed by refurbished 777-300ERs (all aircraft) and selected 767-300ER aircraft (including those with Skyluxe seat) will get the MAGIC-V along with new seats in all classes. The MAGIC-VI is installed on selected 787-8s and 777-300s.

On most JAL international flights, on-plane cameras are available, either on the wings, the belly or on the tail. When the aircraft is in the pushback; taxi; take-off; ascent; descent; stacking; landing; and docking phases of flight, all TV's in the cabin automatically tune into the video camera outside the aircraft to provide "Pilot Vision" to the passengers. However, new entertainment systems do not have them anymore (except the airline's new A350, which does have cameras).

In-flight catering

Japan Airlines offers meals on intercontinental routes, depending on the cabin class, destination and flight length. Western and Japanese menu selections are typically offered, including seasonal menu selections varied by destination. The airline has worked with high-profile chefs, including Fumiko Kono, Shinichi Sato, Koji Shimomura, Naoki Uchiyama, Chikara Yamada, Seiji Yamammoto and Hiroki Yoshitake in the creation of its menus and in 2016, launched a children's menu created by Kono, Yamada, Yamammoto, and Yosuke Suga.

Sakura Lounge

Sakura Lounge, named after the Japanese word for cherry blossom, is Japan Airlines' signature lounge. In addition, the airline also operates the following international, including First Class Lounge, Sakura Lounge annex and JAL Lounge; and domestic lounges, including Diamond Premier Lounge and JAL Lounge. Access to the lounges depend on the class of travel or the membership status in the JAL Mileage Bank or JAL Global Club.

Former bus services

Circa the 1990s, JAL previously operated buses from Frankfurt Airport to Düsseldorf to serve customers in that German city, as well as buses from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City to Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Football sponsorship

In June 2024 Japan Airlines announced a multi-year partnership with Liverpool F.C., becoming the club's official airline partner. Japan Airlines is also an official sponsor of Shimizu S-Pulse and Consadole Sapporo.

Award and recognition

On 24 June 2024, Japan Airlines was voted 2024 World's Best Premium Economy Class by Skytrax.

In popular culture

Japan Airlines has been the focus of several television programmes in Japan over the years, mostly dramas revolving around cabin attendants.

The shōjo manga Attention Please, by Chieko Hosokawa, followed the story of a young girl who joined JAL to be a cabin attendant while overcoming many difficulties. It was adapted into a TV drama by Tokyo Broadcasting System in 1970, which was remade in 2006. The remake stars Aya Ueto, who joins a class of cabin attendant nominees and later graduates. Most of the action of the story of the 2006 series takes place at JAL's Haneda flight operations headquarters. The series has had two specials made since the original, marking the main character's transition into JAL's international operations.

During the 1980s, JAL was also the focus of another drama titled Stewardess Monogatari, which featured another young girl during training to be a JAL cabin attendant.

During the 1990s, JAL featured several commercials starring celebrities, including Janet Jackson, who danced and sang to a backdrop of JAL 747s on rotation at LAX.

In the social stimulation game Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Dodo Airlines is a parody of Japan Airlines.

In the Tom Clancy novel Debt of Honor, a Japan Airlines pilot crashes its Boeing 747 into the United States Capitol.