Skift Take
This bold move by a Japanese budget carrier will see it compete directly with two formidable big-name competitors. With no transit partners for smooth onward connections, will low fares be enough to fill the planes profitably?
Nonstop travel options between Texas and Tokyo are about to get interesting. On Thursday, low-cost carrier ZIPAIR Tokyo announced a major new route linking Houston with the Japanese capital.
From March 4, its nonstop service will connect Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental with Tokyo Narita. It represents ZIPAIR’s fifth transpacific destination after Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Vancouver. The airline also serves Honolulu in Hawaii as well as several Asian cities.
Despite being a budget subsidiary of national carrier Japan Airlines, the brand remains relatively unknown in the U.S. market. ZIPAIR was due to launch ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, however the pandemic severely disrupted its rollout. The company is now making up for lost time and expanding strongly in Asia and North America.
Services will operat