Japan Airlines Has Operated Its Last Boeing 777-200ER Flight

Japan Airlines has retired its last Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from its fleet. While the airline continues to fly the Boeing 777-300ER, its last 77-200ER flight recently took place. Japan Airlines has operated a diverse fleet of airplanes over the years and, like many other airlines, is now increasingly depending on modern, fuel-efficient jets.

Last flight

Japan Airlines recently operated its last Boeing 777-200ER flight. The aircraft type has now been completely removed from active service from the carrier’s fleet as it looks to rely on new fuel-efficient planes increasingly.

The aircraft (registered JA703J) flew its last commercial service on November 12 from Okinawa (OKA) to Tokyo Haneda (HND), which lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes. Per ch-aviation, the plane is 20.8 years old and was delivered to Japan Airlines in February 2003.

JA703J was used for domestic services in Japan and could seat more than 310 passengers, including 26 in business class. Some of its other routes from Haneda included destinations such as Sapporo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka.

Long association with Boeing 777

Japan Airlines has been a heavy user of Boeing 777 aircraft over the years. It has had more than 40 777s in its fleet and continues to operate the -300ER version of the aircraft. The carrier had already retired its 777-200 and -300 variants of the plane a few years ago and gradually phased out the -200ER variant this year.

Per ch-aviation, Japan Airlines has had 11 Boeing 777-200ERs in its fleet and was only operating two until a few months ago. It said goodbye to its second-last 77-200ER plane with a ceremony in May after operating a flight from Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Looking ahead

Japan Airlines has flown some of the most popular aircraft over the years, including the Boeing 747. Its fleet has traditionally been Boeing-heavy, and it continues to fly several Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 767s, and 737s.

But it is also in the process of fleet renewal and is looking to replace some of its older aircraft. In May, it placed an order for 21 Boeing 737 MAX planes after considering other options, including those of Airbus narrowbody aircraft.

In June, it was reported that JAL was conducting an internal study of its options for a fleet overhaul and was open to exploring several narrowbody and widebody options, including the Airbus A321neo and Boeing 787.

Photo: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs | Shutterstock

Currently, a significant portion of its long-haul flights are carried out by Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 planes, and recently, its first Airbus A350-1000 variant was spotted in Toulouse. The airline will use this variant on its flights to New York City and has already revealed the first class suites for these future flights.

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