Japan Airlines has expanded scheduled transcontinental all-cargo flights, utilizing Boeing 747 freighter aircraft operated by three large cargo airlines to take advantage of surging demand for shipments of semiconductors and digital equipment, much of it to support the rapid buildout of AI infrastructure.
The Tokyo-based carrier began flying freighters again for the first time in 13 years in February 2024 and now operates three Boeing 767-300 converted freighters that previously flew for its passenger business. But those aircraft primarily operate on intra-Asia routes.
In a 2035 strategy outlined in March, Japan Airlines said it planned to add large freighters to the cargo business to meet robust demand between Asia, North America and Europe, especially for high-value cargo such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment and pharmaceuticals.
Towards that end, Japan Airlines has enlisted U.S.-based carriers Atlas Air and Kalitta Air, as well as Cargolux, to operate cargo jets under long-term charter agreements, according to a company news release earlier this month.
Kalitta Air operates Boeing 747-400s on JAL’s behalf six times per week between Tokyo Narita International Airport and Chicago. Kalitta replaced Western Global Airlines, the previous operator on the route.
Cargolux operates two Boeing 747-400s twice a week between Narita and Luxembourg.
Atlas Air operates twice per week for JAL between Narita and Los Angeles International Airport. Atlas Air subcontracts some of the flights to partner carriers.
JAL also procured Atlas Air flights to establish a dedicated network for Nippon Express Group, a major logistics customer to meet the growing demand for AI and semiconductor-related goods. The service operates on a circular route starting from Los Angeles, passing through Narita airport, Taipei, Taiwan, and Singapore and back to Narita before returning to Los Angeles, Nippon Express announced earlier this month. The service began with one flight per week and could be expanded in the future, it said.
Nippon Express said there is high demand for servers, server racks, semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and other electronic componentst between Tokyo, Taipei and Singapore, but there are few airlines operating large cargo jets within Asia, limiting available options. The 747s, with about 100 tons of capacity, will provide a unique and highly valued capability, it said.
A recent analysis by Frost & Sullivan and FedEx quantified the huge production growth in semiconductor and AI-related equipment in the Asia-Pacific region, with an ecosystem of suppliers shipping components back-and-forth. Many end customers are hyperscalers based in North America. Logistics providers and airlines are racing to offer more services for the AI market because it offers very high margins.
Japan Airlines withdrew from freighter operations in 2010 as part of a bankruptcy reorganization. One of the motivations to restart the in-house cargo airline in 2024 was the boom in e-commerce. JAL primarily operates standard-size passenger jets on short-haul routes in Asia, but the planes don’t have sufficient capacity in the lower deck to meet cargo demand.
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