Japan Airlines Air Cargo Profile

Japan Airlines (IATA: JL, ICAO: JAL, callsign JAPAN AIR) was founded on August 1, 1951 and is headquartered in the Shinagawa district of Tokyo. It is Japan's flag carrier alongside All Nippon Airways and has been a full member of the oneworld alliance since 2007. The airline is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange following its 2012 relisting and is the core operating company of the JAL Group, which also includes regional feeders and low-cost units. Cargo and mail services are marketed under the JAL Cargo brand, based mainly at Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Tokyo Haneda (HND).

For most of its history JAL ran one of Asia's largest freighter operations, but it retired its Boeing 747 freighter fleet and exited dedicated all-cargo flying in October 2010 as part of its bankruptcy restructuring. Cargo then rode entirely in the belly holds of passenger aircraft for more than a decade. In February 2024 JAL returned to dedicated freighters for the first time in 13 years, introducing three Boeing 767-300ER aircraft converted to freighters (767-300BCF) that previously flew passengers. The move was driven by resilient e-commerce and semiconductor-related demand across Asia.

The 767 freighters operate intra-Asia routes from Narita and Chubu Centrair to destinations including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Tianjin, Dalian and Hanoi. Domestically, JAL and logistics group Yamato Holdings launched a network in 2024 using three Airbus A321P2F converted freighters, each carrying up to about 28 tonnes, flown by group carrier Spring Japan to counter truck-driver hour limits. For long-haul North America capacity JAL leans on a codeshare with Kalitta Air using Boeing 747-400F and 777-300ERSF freighters, notably on the Narita to Chicago lane, complementing wide-body belly space on its 787, 777 and A350 fleet.