Passengers looking to lock in a Japan adventure with Velocity Points will soon have one less option. Virgin Australia confirms that it will cease its Boeing 737 MAX 8 Cairns-Tokyo Haneda service from 24 February 2025.
The airline cites the ‘slow recovery of inbound visitors from Japan’ and ‘[consistent] depreciation in the value of the Japanese Yen’ as its key reasons for abandoning the ‘commercially unsustainable’ route.
The route cancellation will impact around 2,000 passengers. Those who booked directly with Virgin Australia will be automatically offered a refund. Anyone who booked through a third-party agency must contact them to organise the refund. Rebookings may be possible for earlier flights flying before 24 February 2025.
Virgin Australia Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer, Alistair Hartley, says the airline’s strong partnership with Japan’s ANA will remain. “We know this is disappointing news, and we are sorry for the impact this decision will have on those guests booked to travel with us from 24 February 2025.”
“Virgin Australia customers and Velocity Frequent Flyer members will be able to book seamless flights with ANA from just about anywhere in Australia to Japan directly on our website. We will also continue to provide Velocity Points earn, Rewards Seats and loyalty benefits on eligible ANA flights,” he said.
The Queensland Government’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund partially funds Virgin Australia’s Cairns-Haneda route. However, the airline hasn’t disclosed whether any potential changes to the funding agreement might have affected the route’s viability.
Virgin Australia is the only carrier that flies a single-aisle jet on flights between Australia and Japan. Due to the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s range limitations, Cairns is the most viable base for this route. Qantas, Jetstar, ANA, and Japan Airlines all operate widebody jets capable of flying from any Australian city to Tokyo with ease.
Airport slots at Tokyo Haneda are also famously very hard to come by. Unless Virgin Australia can launch a new service to Tokyo to keep the coveted slot, the International Air Services Commission may hand it to the Qantas Group. But a new route isn’t likely unless Virgin Australia acquires a widebody jet in the next six months…
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I don’t think the issue is the catering or comfort (or lack of) of the Max, it’s the capacity and range in ‘less than ideal’ weather. I flew it twice over Jan / Feb and had 1 x cancellation and 1 x 1/2 capacity flight due to headwinds. Virgin were very regularly spending $40k per night on hotels at night Haneda and similar again to find competitor flights for stranded passengers. You either go-in hard with multiple flights on a wide body aircraft or avoid.
100% to the responses above. After flying one of Virgin’s last MEL-HKG on the A333 the thought of a 6 hr flight in a Max, you gotta be kidding me. I cannot stand these tin cans for more than a couple of hours even in J.
The day I see reports of Virgin back in the sky with wide bodies I’m gonna be a happy girl. Probably may never happen but I keep dreaming.
I am not surprised as CNS-HND or HND-CNS on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 would not be a pleasant experience. I have expressed my opinions across multiple channels that Virgin Australia (VA) needs to look into leasing or purchasing twin-aisle jets again such as Airbus A330neo to remain competitive and attractive to consumers.
VA has the opportunity to reset its strategy or trajectory of growth under the new incoming CEO such as:
Horizon 1: Focus on growing its domestic network and routes, Order of Twin-Aisle Jets
Horizon 2: Focus on growing its network and routes across NZ and the Pacific
Horizon 3: Focus on growing its network and routes into South East Asia, focussing on complementing sectors not served by its partners e.g. CBR-SIN, BNE-KUL, BNE-BKK etc.
Yep… lack of demand, thats why Virgin is pulling the pin.
Has 0 to do with servicing the route with a narrow body with seats ill designed for medium haul flying, sub par catering, a sub par business cabin offering (both hard and soft product) and a stop in Cairns to get to any other East Coast destination.
Exactly! Other than people who live in Cairns, or surrounds, why on earth would anyone choose this as an option? I’m MEL and would rather fly via PER if it meant wide body vs a B737.
I said it way back when it was announced as a goer, NO one in their right mind wants to fly anymore than 3 hours on a single- aisle aircraft! The best thing Virgin can do is lease some new A330 neos or 787s & keep their slot at Haneda & fly out of Brisbane like they planned until covid hit-Fairdinkum! Even better, give it to ANA to fly out of Brisbane!!
Quite simply, their AAiF fundimg agreemenr is probably ending in 2025 and VA would’ve done the numbers without the AAIf and it was found it wasn’t viable without the AAIf.