Virgin Australia to end Cairns-Tokyo flights

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8SA VH-IJU (MSN 44223)

A year after initiating flights, Virgin Australia is bidding farewell to Japan. The airline will terminate its Cairns (CNS/YBCS) to Tokyo (HND/RJTT) service, with the last flight scheduled for the 24th of February 2025. Citing lower-than-expected Japanese visitation as a primary reason, the airline has declared the route financially unsustainable. 

"We understand the disappointment this may cause to our customers booked beyond February 24, 2025," stated Alistair Hartley, Virgin Australia's Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer. "Despite the difficult decision, the shortfall in the recovery of inbound Japanese visitors has rendered the continuation of our Tokyo service unfeasible." Virgin Australia will refund approximately 2,000 affected passengers; those who booked through third parties should seek refunds and alternate arrangements from their respective agencies. 

The airline will maintain up to 17 weekly flights to Japan via All Nippon Airways, available for booking on Virgin's website. The Cairns-Tokyo Haneda route, launched in June 2023, faced challenges from the start, including criticism over the use of a single-aisle aircraft for the seven-hour journey. Initially operated by an older Boeing 737-700 due to production delays, the service later upgraded to the Boeing 737 MAX 8. With the cessation of the Japan route, these aircraft will be reassigned to domestic services, with the fleet expanding to eight MAX 8s following the delivery of the final plane next month. Although inbound travel to Japan has rebounded, surpassing pre-2019 figures, outbound tourism from Japan has not experienced a similar upturn.