Japan Airlines (JAL) and Kalitta Air have signed a codeshare agreement for regular cargo flights from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) starting from Saturday 10 May.
The codeshare agreement comes after JAL resumed freighter operations in February 2024 for the first time in 13 years.
”The new codeshare agreement with KALITTA will enable JAL to meet the continued strong demand for cargo transportation between Asia and North America by providing stable and flexible air cargo services with the addition of large cargo aircraft from another company,” said JAL in a press release.
Additionally, passenger flights on the Narita-Chicago route will be launched on 31 May, providing belly capacity for cargo on this route.
From 4-26 April, cargo space will be provided on flights operated by Kalitta using a 747-400F, then from 10 May, the codeshare will see flights operated by Kalitta Air with a 777-300ERSF.
Kalitta has also conducted codeshare operations with JAL in the past, including in 2019 and 2023.
Tokyo-headquartered JAL announced it would return to the freighter market in May 2023, after an absence of 13 years, in a bid to capitalise on growing air cargo demand and a shortage of truck drivers.
Since leaving the freighter market in 2011 when it retired its Boeing 747-400 freighters, the carrier has offered cargo capacity on its passenger flights and by chartering other companies' freighters.
Since resuming freighter operations, JAL has added three Boeing 767-300 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft.
In addition to JAL’s 767 freighter venture, Air Cargo News reported in 2023 that German freighter conversion firm Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) was in the process of delivering three Airbus A321P2F aircraft to Japan for use by JAL and Yamato Holdings on a domestic freighter network.
