Japan Airlines Says Farewell To Another Boeing 777-300ER

Japan Airlines has said farewell to a Boeing 777-300ER as part of efforts to renew its fleet and focus on more efficient aircraft.

JA731J, a 777-300ER that was the second test aircraft in this series before being delivered to the Japanese carrier in 2004, was retired from service on 27 May 2025.

The planned retirement marks the continued efforts to phase out the 777 fleet, in a bid to move towards much more efficient widebody aircraft that will power Japan Airlines for decades to come.

This marks the second 777-300ER retired by Japan Airlines from its fleet of 13, now down to 11.

The first aircraft to be retired was JA734J, delivered in July 2005 and retired in August 2024 after a lengthy service life.

Although not the first to be retired, the most recent JA731J was the oldest, given its history as a test aircraft with Boeing before it was put into service with the Japanese carrier across its network.

Since beginning service with the 777, Japan Airlines has leveraged its range and capacity to serve many international markets and has seen the plane as the perfect option to move away from larger, less efficient planes such as the Boeing 747.

Japan Airlines Previously Delayed The Retirement

The retirement of the 777-300ER has been well documented within Japan Airlines as it moves towards a reliance on the Airbus A350-1000.

The newest Airbus widebody plane, which comes equipped with high capacity and a healthy range, is considered by Japan Airlines to be the like-for-like replacement.

However, on several occasions, the airline has confirmed it’ll be forced to postpone the retirement of the 777-300ER as initially intended due to aircraft delivery delays.

A Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER in Tokyo – Photo: Alan Wilson

Aviation Wire reported in early 2025 that the airline was facing out-of-sync deliveries, which meant the company was facing new challenges in addressing this issue.

Although the knock-on effects were not expected to be significant, they still necessitated more thorough planning moving forward.

The equation is simple: as more Airbus A350-1000s are delivered to Japan Airlines, more 777-300ERs can begin to be phased out, with the Airbus widebody deployed to higher-demand destinations in due course.