JAL finally launching non-stop service from Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport

JAL will finally launch non-stop service from Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport. Image by Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL) has finally announced a new tentative launch date of the non-stop service from Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) to Tokyo Haneda (HND). Based on the latest international network announcement, JAL will "reinstate" the scheduled non-stop HND-SVO service from April 22 2021. JAL will operate once weekly non-stop flight from Haneda every Thursday and once weekly non-stop flight from Sheremetyevo every Friday. 

Originally JAL planned to launch the non-stop HND-SVO service on March 29 2020. But due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, JAL had been postponing the start date of regular scheduled service. But technically it has launched the non-stop service from Haneda on September 11 2020 when it operated "an extra one-way flight" from Tokyo Haneda to Moscow Sheremetyevo. 

But for service from Sheremetyevo, JAL has only been operating a one-stop service via Helsinki (HEL) since October 9 2020, and it did not use the designated SVO flight number JL040 either. Since then even JAL has been increasing the SVO service frequency to roughly once weekly, it has kept the inbound one-stop service via Helsinki until now. From April 22 2020, JAL will finally operate true non-stop flight JL040 from Sheremetyevo to Haneda. Tickets will go on sale from 15:00 JST on February 19 2020. And as previously announced, Aeroflot will codeshare with JAL on this route.

Other than the reinstatement of the non-stop HND-SVO service, below are some key highlights for the latest international network plan through May 31 2021

• JAL will reduce 76% of the international flights in April and May, that's the same reduction rate as March 2021
• Haneda - Sydney will increase frequency to 3 times weekly in March 2021 but one of these 3 flights will operate to/from Tokyo Narita from April 2021
• One additional one-way service from Tokyo Narita to Manila from April 7 2021
• One additional roundtrip service on Tokyo Haneda - Honolulu route from April 20 2021