Virgin Australia has blamed weak demand for its decision to pull the pin on flights to Japan a little more than a year after launching services to the country.
The airline announced on Monday it would cease flying its Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft between Cairns and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from February 24 next year.
Virgin Australia apologised to the 2,000 customers impacted by the decision but said the route – which was launched last June – was no longer commercially viable.
The carrier said there had been a “slow recovery of inbound visitors travelling from Japan to Australia”, with numbers still “up to 35 per cent below pre-COVID levels”.
“Withdrawing from Cairns-Tokyo services was a tough decision,” Virgin Australia Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer Alistair Hartley said.
“But unfortunately the recovery of inbound visitors from Japan is significantly below forecast and therefore operating our own service to Tokyo is no longer commercially viable.
“We know this is disappointing news and we are sorry for the impact this decision will have on those guests booked to travel with us from 24 February 2025.”
Customers who booked through the Virgin Australia website for travel after February 24 will receive an email within the next 24 hours about obtaining a refund.
Those who bought their flights via a third party website or a travel agency have been told to contact the provider to request a refund.
The service was one of several international flights provided with Queensland government support through its $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.
“I want to acknowledge and thank the Queensland government for its partnership in launching our Tokyo services and its ongoing support for Virgin Australia as one of the largest carriers of tourists to the Sunshine State,” Mr Hartley said.
The seven hour, 50-minute Cairns-Haneda flight is the only service Virgin Australia currently operates between Australia and Japan.
Since the airline emerged from its 2020 administration, it has operated its aircraft to a relatively small number of overseas destinations including Bali, Queenstown, Nadi, Apia and Port Vila.
Virgin Australia said once the Haneda cancellation takes effect, it will still offer its customers up to 17 weekly flights between Australia and Japan which will be operated by its partner, Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA).
