JAL moving to suspend Vegas-Tokyo flights

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001 | 9:30 a.m.

Japan Airlines is moving to suspend its three-year-old nonstop air service between Tokyo and Las Vegas -- a move that will inflict even more pain on the Las Vegas tourism and gambling industries.

A company spokeswoman today said it's likely that JAL's four flights a week will not operate Nov. 1 through Jan. 31.

"A final decision hasn't been reached yet," said Irene Jackson, a spokeswoman for JAL in New York. "JAL doesn't want to lose this service, but it is likely that it will be suspended."

But there are other indications that the decision -- expected to be made by JAL executives in Tokyo later today -- has already been made.

JAL's Las Vegas ground crew has been told the last arrival and departure to and from Tokyo will be operated today. And, travel agents are blocked on their computers from booking passengers on any JAL flights to and from Las Vegas beginning Wednesday.

But they can book passengers through Las Vegas beginning Feb. 1.

The weakened global economy coupled with a lack of customers following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks contributed to a downturn in demand that led to the consideration to suspend operations.

Jackson said the airline's two-person Las Vegas crew is "home staffed," meaning that they will be reassigned to another city and not laid off. Other work for the airline is contracted.

The airline cut the number of weekly flights between Tokyo and Las Vegas from five to four earlier this month,

The airline operated five flights a week since last year, using a 397-passenger Boeing 747-400 jet for the 10-hour journey from Narita International Airport to McCarran International in Las Vegas.

JAL flights began in October 1998, four months after former Gov. Bob Miller led a 10-member delegation to Japan and Taiwan to convince airlines in those countries to consider nonstop trips to the Entertainment Capital of the World. Miller announced in June 1998 that JAL had agreed to begin service, competing on the route with Northwest Airlines.

Las Vegas became Japan Airlines' sixth international gateway, joining the likes of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Atlanta, and it was the first new North American city for the airline in two years.

JAL initiated service with two flights a week, flying nonstop to Las Vegas and stopping in Los Angeles on the return trip.

When demand was at its peak about a year ago, JAL had five weekly flights and Northwest two. But Northwest discontinued its Tokyo-Las Vegas service in April as Asian demand slowed along with the slowing economy.

"We haven't officially been notified (of a pullout)," said Harry Kassap, manager of air service development at McCarran, on Monday. "But if they are gone, we'll just go back to work to get them back. We've already bounced back as well as anybody (from the downturn resulting from the attacks). It'll just take some time to get them back."

Among the companies expected to suffer from cuts in nonstop flights from Asia are Southern Nevada's Grand Canyon air tour fliers. Companies like Scenic Airlines and Air Vegas rely on a steady stream of Asian tourists to fill their tours over the Southwest's national parks.

Representatives of those companies, already hurt by being grounded by Federal Aviation Administration order for several days immediately following the attacks, saw their business dry up when JAL's 747s began arriving nearly empty after the attacks.

Dennis Casteel of Carlson Wagonlit Summerlin Travel said without nonstop flights by Northwest or JAL, "we'll just be going back to what we did before" to route passengers between Asia and Las Vegas.

That means, for most travelers, a stop at Los Angeles International Airport, where 10 airlines, including JAL and Northwest, have nonstop service to Tokyo.

There will be fewer connections for flights, since most airlines have scaled back trips between Asia and North America, he said. And, only three of the 10 carriers are based in the United States -- Northwest, Delta and United. United and Northwest have daily flights to and from Los Angeles, while Delta's operates six times a week.

American Airlines has a code-share agreement with JAL, meaning that American Airlines customers can make all arrangements through American, then fly JAL on the trans-Pacific portion of the trip. American has nonstop service to Tokyo from its San Jose, Calif. hub.

Other airlines with nonstop flights to Tokyo from Los Angeles are Singapore and All Nippon (daily), Korean (five flights a week), Thai and Varig (four flights a week) and Malaysian (three flights a week).