Virgin Australia Cancels Cairns To Tokyo Flights

Virgin Australia has announced it will axe flights between Cairns and Tokyo Haneda just a year after launching the service.

The Australian carrier says it’ll specifically cease flying on 24 February 2025 with much deliberation required, but ultimately, this is deemed the right call.

Virgin Australia saw a slow recovery of inbound visitors from Japan, which was a key catalyst for the suspension. The slow recovery is due to the weakness in the Japanese Yen, which Virgin says has ultimately hurt its ability to see strong demand levels.

Given these factors, continuing to operate flights between Cairns and Tokyo Haneda would be the wrong move and is labelled commercially unsustainable for the long term.

Virgin Australia says that while it’s unfortunate to be leaving this route behind, its focus remains on the international network. It’s committed to offering great connectivity but in a sustainable manner.

When Virgin Autralian filed for administration at the beginning of the decade, one key element of the business that changed was the departure of widebody aircraft such as the 777 and A330. These aircraft allowed the company to reach markets such as Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles with enhanced capacity.

The departure of these planes significantly shifted the airline’s strategy. Greater focus was placed on single-aisle jets to do the truckload of flying, and thus, their network reach was smaller.

The route cancellation announcement directly impacts around 2,000 customers because of their bookings after the service axing date. Virgin Australia has reaffirmed that it’ll provide the best quality across these flights for those set to fly between now and the service cancellation date.

While Virgin Australia will exit the Cairns to Tokyo market, this doesn’t mean customers cannot visit the location. Competitor airlines do offer services between Australia and broader Japan. However, Virgin Australia cites its relationship with All Nippon Airways (ANA) as another avenue.

ANA offers 17 flights per week between Australia and Japan. However, more notably, these can be booked on the Virgin Australia website, providing convenience for customers.

Once service is suspended, the Boeing 737 MAX currently operating between the two locations will be redeployed across the airline’s domestic network.