US, Japan negotiate Open Skies amendment for daytime Haneda slots – ATWOnline

US and Japanese negotiators have agreed on a plan to provide daytime service for US carriers at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, according to the US State Department.

The plan, announced on Feb. 18, is a proposed amendment to the 2010 Open Skies agreement between the two countries and will provide, for the first time since 1978, daytime services by US and Japanese carriers between the US and Haneda International Airport. Haneda is regarded as Japan's busiest airport, and is the closest to downtown Tokyo. Daytime flights are anticipated to begin in late September 2016.

"Under the current agreement, US airlines have a total of four slot pairs (four arrivals and four departures) for service to and from Haneda, which are now restricted to use during nighttime hours. Under the proposed amendment, these four slot pairs would be transferred to daytime hours," the US State Department said.

"In addition, a fifth daytime slot pair for scheduled service to and from Haneda would be added and US airlines would be able to continue operating one nighttime slot pair. Several US carriers have expressed strong interest in offering daytime service to Haneda, and their passengers will benefit from convenient access to downtown Tokyo," the US State Department said.

American Airlines president Scott Kirby released a statement applauding the agreement.

American recently began daily nonstop service between LAX and Haneda utilizing nighttime slots, with the flight arriving at Haneda at 11 p.m. local time, and departing for the US at 1:30 a.m. local time.

"It's important for our customers to have convenient access to downtown Tokyo during the day, and this agreement also allows for desirable arrival and departure times in the US for Haneda service," Kirby said.

In addition to American Airlines, three other US carriers fly the transpacific route to Haneda from the US west coast and Hawaii: United Airlines, which flies from San Francisco; Hawaiian Airlines, from Honolulu; and Delta Air Lines, from Los Angeles.

United was similarly effusive and congratulatory about the agreement. "Offering daytime service to and from the heart of Tokyo will create appealing new business and leisure travel opportunities for our global customers … we look forward to providing more convenient access to this key market from our San Francisco hub," the airline said in a statement.

Delta, however, said it is "deeply disappointed with the final agreement reached today between the US and Japanese governments to incrementally open the Tokyo-Haneda airport. Tokyo-Haneda will remain a severely restricted airport with limited competition. Delta is committed to doing our best to maintain the viability of our current Asian route structure and our Tokyo-Narita hub for as long as possible, recognizing that commercial impacts are imminent. Delta will make a careful assessment and adjust our network accordingly," Delta EVP-chief legal officer Peter Carter said in a Feb. 18 statement.