Business Spotlight: Japan Airlines Part 1

レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

Now that we are over a year into the pandemic, it has been a long time since many of us have been on an airplane. However, if you were to take a flight, it is quite likely that it would be with Japan Airlines, the country’s first airline and still today its major international carrier. Japan Airlines was established in August 1951. Though it was originally a private company, the government took over the business in 1953. The company spent a few years as a domestic airline before launching its first international flight to San Francisco in 1954. By 1965, Japan Airlines was flying to many of the world’s major travel destinations and making half of its revenue from transpacific flights. International success was then ensured when the government named it Japan’s flag carrier airline, taking away any major competition for international travel. But fortunes changed in the ’80s. In 1985, other companies were allowed to provide international travel routes, leading to greater competition. 1985 was also the year of the tragic Flight 123 crash, which dramatically affected Japan Airlines’ reputation. As a consequence, the company underwent a major reshuffle and privatized in 1987. (Jasmin Hayward) To be continued… This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.