Orlando International Airport will offer four nonstop flights to Tokyo next year, a trial touted as Florida’s first direct passenger connection to Japan and a significant milestone in the airport’s push to add more international destinations.
Zipair will operate the flights between Orlando and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport from Feb. 23 to March 10, airport officials revealed Tuesday.
“Our partnership with Zipair is more than just a new route. It’s history,” said Lance Lyttle, CEO for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates the Orlando International Airport. He added the route will mark the first nonstop flight from Florida to the Asia Pacific region.
So far, service is limited to four chartered, round-trip flights, but airport and tourism officials say they could lay the groundwork for a more permanent link between the two cities.
The new route was unveiled at Hotel New Otani in Tokyo to an audience of Disney company executives, government officials and tourism leaders.
Zipair, a subsidiary of Japan Airlines, is a low-cost carrier with routes to five U.S. cities, including Houston and Los Angeles. Shingo Nishida, representative director/president of ZIPAIR Tokyo, hailed the Orlando flights as a “historic achievement.”
The route will cover 6,300 nautical miles with an estimated flight time of about 13 to 15 hours on Zipair’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Existing routes from Orlando to Tokyo require a stopover in another city, a journey that can take 18 hours or longer.
The direct flights also garnered praise from Central Florida tourism and business leaders who say the link will open the region to new visitors and strengthen economic ties. The cities are home to two of the world’s most visited attractions — Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disney Resort.
“This new direct air service from Tokyo is a landmark moment for Orlando, opening an entirely new gateway and making us the first destination in Florida with connectivity with Asia,” Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej said in a statement, adding it reflects years of collaboration between the airport, Disney and several other Central Florida tourism partners.
Orlando airport expands direct flights to Europe, seeks Korea route
Zipair sales are scheduled to begin in early December. The planned dates of operation for next year are Feb. 23, Feb. 28, March 5, and March 10.
Exact flight times will be announced at a later date.
Airport officials have been working to expand Orlando’s lineup of international destinations, and Tokyo has been seen as one of the top underserved Asian markets. Airport officials also hope to establish a direct flight to South Korea.
Most recently Spain’s Iberia Airlines started direct service between Orlando and Madrid. That new service, which started Sunday, will be available four days a week. Direct routes have also been recently added to Munich and Paris.
In total, the Orlando airport offers nonstop service to 55 international destinations. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the only nonstop destination in Asia.
AloJapan.com