The Qantas Group (Qantas) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have announced plans for Qantas to exit from their joint venture in Japan-based budget carrier Jetstar Japan.
The Qantas Group (Qantas) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have announced plans for Qantas to exit from their joint venture in Japan-based budget carrier Jetstar Japan.
Both airlines signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the Tokyo Narita-based low cost carrier (LCC) to a new Japanese-based ownership structure. Under the plan, Qantas will divest its full shareholding in Jetstar Japan (33.32%). The Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) plans to enter as a shareholder.
The other two stakeholders in the joint venture are Tokyo Century Corporation (16.68%) and JAL (50%). Both JAL and Qantas stated Tokyo Century intends to keep its shares in the airline.
JAL and Qantas stated they plan to sign the final agreement of the shareholders' agreement and brand transition in July 2026 followed by the announcement of a new brand in October 2026. The completion of the transfer procedures and brand transition is scheduled to take place in June 2027. Jetstar Japan will maintain its independent LCC operations while Qantas will concentrate on its core operations in Australia including Jetstar Airways.
Along with the brand rebrand, the new shareholder group plans to maintain the current employment of Jetstar Japan while boosting its international network from Narita Airport and strategically capturing inbound demand and utilizing its extensive domeestic netweork to direct passengers to regional areas.
“This change in shareholding structure will have no impact on JJP’s announced flight schedules. All flights currently on sale will operate as planned, and customers with existing bookings can continue to use JJP’s services with confidence. There are no impacts to Qantas or Jetstar Airways international services to and from Japan. Codeshare flights with Qantas, Jetstar Airways, and JAL will also remain unaffected.”
In the joint statement, JAL President and Group CEO Mitsuko Tottori said: “We are delighted to announce this new beginning for Jetstar Japan alongside DBJ and Tokyo Century. We also extend our deepest gratitude to Qantas for their 14-year partnership in establishing and developing the LCC market in Japan. By moving to this new structure, we will respond flexibly to market changes and maximize synergies with the JAL Group to achieve sustainable growth for JJP as a key LCC at the expanding Narita Airport.”
Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Group CEO said: "We're incredibly proud of the pioneering role Jetstar Japan has played in the low-cost aviation sector in Japan and sincerely thank our Jetstar team members for their unwavering commitment to maintaining excellent safety, operational and service standards for millions of customers. We’re confident the new ownership structure will deliver greater value to customers, benefitting from the Development Bank of Japan’s domestic and international aviation knowledge and industry expertise as well as their strong, long-standing relationships with national and regional tourism bodies. We thank Japan Airlines for their strong partnership and look forward to continuing to work together during the transition and in oneworld."
Masakazu Tanaka, CEO and Representative Director, Jetstar Japan said: "We’ve built an amazing airline over the last nearly 14 years, carrying more than 55 million customers, and we thank Qantas for their support. But as we look to the next chapter in Jetstar Japan’s history, I am pleased to work with the new ownership group to lead our LCC into the future. Our people are the heart of our airline, pioneering the low-cost aviation sector in Japan while maintaining excellent safety, operational and service standards and I look forward to leading them into our next phase of growth to deliver even more value to our customers.”
First launched in 2012, Jetstar Japan currently operates flights on 18 domestic and 6 international routes with a fleet of around 20 Airbus A320/A321 aircraft. The airline has served over 55 million customers.
Powered by Froala Editor