Virgin Australia ending Cairns-Tokyo flights
Just one year after flights began, Virgin is saying ‘sayonara’ to Japan.
By Chris Ashton, July 22 2024
Virgin Australia is axing flights between Cairns and Tokyo, with the final departure lifting off on February 24, 2025.
The airline says the route “is no longer commercially viable,” citing lower-than-expected visitation from Japan as a key factor in its decision.
“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,” says Alistair Hartley, Virgin Australia’s Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer.
“It was a tough decision, 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.”
Virign says some 2000 passengers booked on the route after 24 February 2025 will be offered a refund; those who booked via a travel agency or third-party website are encouraged to contact them to request a refund and to make alternative travel arrangements.
The airline says it will continue to offer up to 17 flights a week between Australia and Japan on partner All Nippon Airways, with flights bookable via the Virgin website.
A rocky start
Virgin Australia has been flying Cairns-Tokyo Haneda since June 2023.
But despite debuting to great fanfare from the carrier, the route has been controversial from day one, with many criticising the use of a single-aisle aircraft on the seven hour route.
Due to production delays from Boeing, the route was initially served by an older Boeing 737-700, before switching to the factory-fresh Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft soon after.
With Japan off the departures board, those Boeing 737 MAX 8s will be moved to domestic runs, with the arrival of one final aircraft next month bringing its MAX 8 fleet to eight.
Virgin’s loss is Qantas’ gain?
While inbound travel to Japan has soared since borders reopened, regularly exceeding 2019 levels, the same can’t be said for outbound travel, with the number of Japanese tourists exploring the globe still down more than 500,000 a month.
Qantas may now be in position to swoop in on Virgin Australia’s coveted slot at Tokyo-Haneda Airport.
The airline already offers 28 flights a week between Australia and Japan, including double-daily from Sydney Tokyo-Haneda, and daily from both Melbourne and Brisbane to Tokyo-Narita.
26 Sep 2023
Total posts 18
Unsurprising. That route always felt like either 'waiting for a better rights offer' or the last of the Borghetti delusions.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 330
HND wasn't a Borghetti era expansion. That was Scurrah moving from Borghetti/HNA's HKG services to Japan and a partnership with ANA which was halted by the Covid mess.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
12 May 2022
Total posts 12
I have flights booked after this date to Tokyo with VA, gog damn it!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Sep 2022
Total posts 5
Not surprising. VA always took these slots to prevent QF from getting them.
~8 hours on 737 was not a good option for flyers either.
07 Mar 2017
Total posts 60
I think their argument is accurate though (unlike some arguments). Cairns still hasn't recovered as it used to be pre-Covid, even though inbound visitation has improved.
Etihad - Etihad Guest
21 Jul 2019
Total posts 174
Cairns is an interesting market. Speaking to old timer tourist operators they reckon it's never been the same since the boom days of 80s and 90s with Japanese tourists. Other markets have not covered that loss to the same extent. Sure, they still get some Japanese inbound on the JetStar services, but nowhere near the numbers. And local aussie tourists can't help to cover the gap after 20 years.
23 Jul 2024
Total posts 1
Japanese arrivals into Cairns (July 2023 - March 2024) are actually good compared to arrival figures into other ports. The ABS figures for Cairns showing Japanese recovery at 92% vs 2019 during this period.
07 Apr 2021
Total posts 50
Let's hope this is because ANA will start flying to Brisbane
10 Jul 2015
Total posts 14
The only reason Virgin launched this route after restructuring was to prevent Qantas getting the additional slot at Haneda that was available to Australian carriers. Without a widebody aircraft and a flight into a state capital, it was destined to fail from the get go.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 330
Plus the Queensland Government AAIF subsidies that was available for VA (and other airlines) post-restructure, I'd suspect without the AAIF Bain would've let those HND slots lapse a lot earlier.
10 Jul 2023
Total posts 3
For me the big takeaway for me isn't that this route wasn't doing well, I didn't expect it to, but that they clearly don't see a return to true medium-long haul international flying anytime soon.
I assumed they were holding onto the Haneda slots in case they got some 787s / A330s or a new owner who was keen to expand VA internationally. Suppose it could still happen, but the first flights won't be to Japan.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 330
Keep in mind this route was also partly funded by the Queensland Government's AAIF when it started in mid 2023 (i.e subsidised landing fees, ground services, marketing etc).
Now that the AAIF funding is soon to end, it's no surprise that the numbers make it unviable post AAIF funding.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 435
Cairns-Tokyo was subsidised by Day 1 by the Qld government, I would bet that this subsidy has ended and this is why Virgin has pulled the plug. The route always had low passenger numbers in both directions right from the start, the only thing which kept it going was the government underwriting the route. No Govt money = no flying.
15 Nov 2017
Total posts 4
This was never about passenger numbers for VA. It was subsidised massively and now this has been removed, it makes no sense commercially to continue.
Unfortunately the brand has suffered massively and, in my option as a Velocity Frequent Flyer, I feel neglected, at best. No lounge, no lie-flat seats on the inbound overnighter. And up against some of the best rated service in the world in ANA and JAL. This has devalued my experience and sent me running towards the superior alternatives.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 971
Never made sense in the first place on any front except to hold a slot.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 718
With the old (pre-Covid) lounge still closed, who would want to transfer and wait in CNS airport for a 7-hour international flight in that plane when ANA out of SYD was available? Talk about abusing a hitherto loyal customer base!! Gimme a break, p-lease.
Qantas
13 Dec 2012
Total posts 21
7 hours on a Max 8 was surprisingly bearable. Landing in Haneda was perfectly timed. Staring through the windows of the old lounge in Cairns was mournful. But 7 hours with only free water, tea and coffee, plus the domestic pringles menu was the straw that broke the Camel's back. Pitiful effort from Virgin. This airline feels like it is on the path to oblivion.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2015
Total posts 52
Why is it only this route than has scorned the punters so much about the use of a narrow body? 7 hours is not that much difference to the East Coast - DPS route, PR fly a 321 BNE-MNL every day and there are plenty of narrow bodies crossing the Atlantic each and every day.
I’m not saying it is preferred but it’s not like there isn’t some similar precedent here.
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