Business travelers who do business in Tokyo might soon have another option for getting there.
American Airlines has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate daily, year-round nonstop flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport using slots operated by Delta Air Lines from Seattle.
This is the second request by American according tobusinesstraveler.com. In October, the Fort Worth-based airline asked the DOT to let it fly the route using rights held by Delta, claiming Delta only flew on a seasonal basis, a general under-use of its rights.
In its Oct. 2 initial filing, American claimed Delta was “essentially deserting Seattle” from October through March with only a handful of flights scheduled on its Seattle-Haneda route.
American’s new request is in response to a DOT decision Dec. 15 to re-examine the use of Tokyo slots. Hawaiian Airlines also submitted an application to the DOT on Tuesday, proposing daily, nonstop service between Kona, Hawaii, and Haneda.
