JAL - Japan Airlines (JL, Tokyo Haneda) is in talks with Boeing (BOE, Washington National) regarding the supply of widebody jets for its nascent low-cost, long-haul carrier project, due to launch in early 2020.
Airline director Masaru Onishi told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the IATA AGM in Sydney this week that the talks focus on the possibility of converting some of JAL's existing B787s for use by the low-cost unit or placing a new order altogether. It expects to make a decision in about a year.
JAL plans to launch the carrier with a pair of B787-8s adding two more every year, should it prove sustainable. Masaru said that initially, the carrier would focus on Southeast Asia before expanding into Europe and North America.
