Japan Airlines announced that it will switch its direct flights connecting Asahikawa Airport and Osaka Itami Airport to year-round service from 25 October. The route will operate 1 round trip per day, made possible by the removal of the cap on long-haul domestic flights at Itami Airport.
Japan Airlines announced that its direct flights connecting Asahikawa and Osaka Itami will move from seasonal service operating only in August each year to year-round service from the end of October. The year-round schedule will begin on 25 October, replacing the current seasonal service.
The change is being made against the backdrop of the planned removal of the cap on domestic flights of more than 1,000 kilometers at Itami Airport. The move is expected to facilitate year-round service on the Asahikawa–Itami route.
Asahikawa Mayor Kansuke Imazu said the new service would provide a strong tailwind for the development of tourism and the economy in Asahikawa, noting that passenger traffic at Asahikawa Airport had surpassed 1.2 million for the first time in 17 years.