The announcement comes as part of a broader allocation of coveted daytime routes to Haneda Airport, which is a preferred destination for business travelers because of its proximity to Tokyo’s core compared to Narita Airport.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that it will not grant American Airlines’ application for a new daytime route between DFW Airport and Tokyo Haneda, the airport closest to the city’s downtown.
American was awarded one daytime route out of Los Angeles, where it now flies overnight to Haneda Airport.
The DOT proposal includes more daytime routes to Tokyo Haneda for Delta than any other USA carrier.
Previously, U.S. airlines were only allowed to fly into Haneda overnight.
Four U.S. carriers have won tentative approval to launch daytime U.S. flights to Tokyo’s Haneda airport as early as this fall, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Wednesday.
That’s because Delta has struggled with sustaining flights to Tokyo Haneda, when it operated routes from Detroit and Seattle in the past. Paul community, elected officials, business leaders, customers, partners and employees to support our bid for this service to maintain direct access to Japan.
The decision was preliminary but it is unusual for the final DOT decision to vary from it, airline industry insiders said.
The proposed US cities are Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Francisco, and Minneapolis and are scheduled to start as early this fall after the public has a chance to comment on the decision.
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The Department of Transportation said it picked these flights in an effort to “maximize public benefits” based on the airlines that “offered and could maintain the best ongoing service between the USA and Tokyo”. The airline could file objections to the decision before it is final.
