AirJapan boosts Singapore – Tokyo flights to daily from November 2025, while ZIPAIR cuts to 5x weekly, but flat-bed Business Class seats are still available from S$560 one-way.
The popular Singapore – Tokyo route is experiencing somewhat divergent strategies from two Japanese low-cost carriers this winter, with ANA’s budget subsidiary AirJapan expanding its operations, while JAL’s ZIPAIR reduces capacity on the city pair for the first time.
Despite both being positioned as low-cost options, the two carriers offer distinctly different propositions. AirJapan operates with a single-class all-economy configuration, maximising seat density to keep costs low.
ZIPAIR, meanwhile, offers a more premium option with its “ZIP Full-Flat” product at the front of the aircraft, a Business Class bed standard but without the usual frills.
AirJapan ramps up Singapore – Tokyo flights
AirJapan, the budget subsidiary of All Nippon Airways, is set to increase its Singapore operations from five times weekly to daily service from 21st November 2025.
The airline, which launched the route in April 2024, has evidently found strong demand on the Singapore – Tokyo corridor, and the increased frequency has been made possible following the introduction of the carrier’s third Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
AirJapan now has three Boeing 787s in its fleet.
(Photo: Kazuchika Naya)
The carrier’s all-economy configuration makes it a pure low-cost option for travellers looking for affordability to and from Japan, and the upcoming frequency increase represents a 40% capacity boost on the route.
Here’s how the airline’s five times weekly schedule looks, with service currently missing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from Tokyo, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from Singapore.
Singapore ⇄ Tokyo Narita
Now – 20th November 2025
Days
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
NQ4
787-8
SIN
00:55
NRT
08:40
Duration: 06:45
NQ3
787-8
NRT
17:05
SIN
23:45
Duration: 07:40
NQ4 arrives at 08:55 until 25th October 2025
NQ3 departs at 17:40 until 25th October 2025
Those gaps are filled in thanks to the frequency hike, with the same regular timings on a daily basis from 21st November 2025, as highlighted below.
Singapore ⇄ Tokyo Narita
From 21st November 2025
Days
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
NQ4
787-8
SIN00:55
NRT08:40
Duration: 06:45
NQ3
787-8
NRT17:05
SIN23:45
Duration: 07:40
An overnight flight in Economy Class from Singapore to Japan may be a bit of a struggle for many, but a more civilised evening departure in the return direction is much better, getting you back into Singapore just before midnight.
AirJapan seats and fares
AirJapan operates the Boeing 787-8 in an all-Economy Class configuration, but with only 324 seats, thanks to a spacious 32-inch pitch.
For comparison, Scoot squeezes 335 seats on its two-class Boeing 787-8s, which include a ScootPlus section, and have just 30-inch seat pitch in Economy Class.
This puts AirJapan’s Economy Class legroom on a par with Singapore Airlines, also matching the Economy Class 17.5-inch seat width SIA offers on its Boeing 787-10s in this cabin.
As for the seats themselves, AirJapan uses the Safran Seats Z110i product for its cabins, which have been totally refurbished from their former lives as ANA jets.
AirJapan’s Boeing 787 Economy Class has 32-inch seat pitch
The lowest fares for AirJapan flights this winter season, including taxes and fees, are as follows:
SIN-NRT: S$225
NRT-SIN: S$194
These are AirJapan’s “Simple” fare category, which basically come with nothing but an unassigned seat and 7kg carry-on baggage allowance.
Additional charges are then levied for seat selection, checked baggage and meals.
ZIPAIR pulls back for winter
In contrast to AirJapan’s expansion, ZIPAIR Tokyo, Japan Airlines’ low-cost long-haul subsidiary, is scaling back its Singapore operations for the first time since launching flights to the city in 2021, when it became the first low-cost carrier to launch non-stop flights between Singapore and Tokyo.
The airline will reduce frequencies from daily to five times weekly between early January and mid-March 2026.
Singapore ⇄ Tokyo Narita
7th January 2026 – 11th March 2026
Days
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
ZG54
787-8
SIN
00:40
NRT
08:25
Duration: 06:45
ZG53
787-8
NRT
16:35
SIN
23:10
Duration: 07:35
As you can see Tuesdays and Thursdays will see no ZIPAIR flights from Tokyo to Singapore, while Wednesdays and Fridays suffer in the northbound direction back to Japan.
The airline is restoring daily flights on this route from 12th March 2026, however the schedule then only runs for two further weeks until the end of the northern winter season on 28th March 2026, so we can’t say for sure at this stage what ZIPAIR’s frequency plans will be for the summer season next year.
ZIPAIR’s timings are almost identical to those of AirJapan, with an overnight flight to Tokyo and an evening service back to Singapore.
ZIPAIR will cut capacity on its Singapore – Tokyo route by 30% in early 2026.
(Photo: Masakatsu Ukon)
ZIPAIR has been operating daily service on the route since March 2023, establishing itself as the first mover among Japanese LCCs on the Singapore – Tokyo corridor.
ZIPAIR seats and fares
ZIPAIR isn’t your average low-cost airline, with the carrier taking the rare decision to equip its Boeing 787-8 aircraft with 18 fully flat-bed seats in the forward section, using a reverse herringbone product in a 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access for all passengers.
ZIPAIR’s Boeing 787-8s have a five-row forward cabin with flat-bed seats.
(Photo: ZIPAIR)
The airline calls these seats “ZIP Full-Flat”.
ZIPAIR offers competitive fares for its flat-bed seats on the Singapore – Tokyo route.
(Photo: ZIPAIR)
The product itself is the JAMCO Venture seat, also used by KLM on its Boeing 787-10s.
In Economy Class, ZIPAIR uses Recaro CL3710 seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration.
ZIPAIR Boeing 787-8 Economy Class. (Photo: ZIPAIR)
The lowest fares for ZIPAIR flights this winter season, including taxes and fees, are as follows:
Standard Seat
SIN-NRT: S$225
NRT-SIN: S$168
ZIP Full-Flat
SIN-NRT: S$696
NRT-SIN: S$561
In common with AirJapan’s “Simple” fare category, ZIPAIR’s “Standard Seat” comes with nothing but an unassigned seat and 7kg carry-on baggage allowance.
“ZIP Full-Flat” fares also represent a completely unbundled Business Class offering, with the following package pricing options:
Basic (seat-only), with up to 7kg of carry-on baggage, but no other extras
Biz, which includes advance seat selection and a heavier 12kg carry-on bag
Value, which includes advance seat selection, a 23kg checked bag, 7 kg carry-on bag, and an in-flight meal
Premium, which includes advance seat selection, a 23kg checked bag, a heavier 12kg carry-on bag, an in-flight meal, and an amenity set
Alternatively, you can select the ancillary add-ons you prefer individually.
All Singapore – Tokyo flights
Overall the Singapore – Tokyo route will offer 124 weekly flights in each direction, based on March 2026 schedules, as outlined below.
Singapore – Tokyo Flights
w/c 2nd March 2026
This represents a 13% increase compared to January 2020, when four airlines operated 110 weekly flights in each direction, and the route’s only low-cost carrier was Scoot.
Low-cost carriers AirJapan and ZIPAIR are adopting somewhat contrasting strategies over their market share this winter on one of the most competitive routes in Southeast Asia – Singapore to Tokyo.
AirJapan’s move is a significant capacity hike, with low fares still on offer, while ZIPAIR’s temporary capacity reduction perhaps reflects a more cautious yield-focused approach that prioritises better profitability on other routes during this season.
However, the carrier’s unique positioning with competitively-priced flat-bed seats continues to differentiate it in a crowded marketplace, offering passengers Business Class comfort at prices that undercut traditional full-service carriers by significant margins.
Looking ahead, both airlines are likely to benefit from the continued recovery in Singapore – Japan travel, with this route alone now supporting 13% more weekly flights compared to pre-pandemic levels, while travellers now have unprecedented choice between pure budget options, hybrid Business Class products and full-service offerings.
(Cover Photo: Mitchul Hope)
AloJapan.com