American Airlines announces New York-Tokyo route

FORT WORTH, TEXAS: American Airlines on Wednesday announced it will be the first U.S. airline to launch service between the continental U.S. and Tokyo's International Airport at Haneda since the U.S. and Japan signed a historic Open Skies Agreement in October 2010.

American is the world's only airline to fly between New York and Tokyo's Haneda – located only 30 minutes from downtown Tokyo, and will begin its service on Friday, from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and on Sunday from Haneda.

With almost 70 million annual passengers, Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Asia, and the fourth busiest airport in the world. It is also Japan's main hub for domestic flights, providing a wide range of options for connections to and from cities throughout the country.

The airline will be using a Boeing 777 with 247 seats, 16 in first class, 37 in business, and 194 in economy. In addition to its new service to Haneda, American will continue to provide service to Tokyo's Narita Airport from New York-JFK, Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth.

This announcement is the latest in a series of moves by American and oneworld to strengthen their position in New York and other key U.S. cities. Less than a year ago, American announced it was adding 31 flights on 13 new routes from New York, including some new international routes, and investing $30 million in its JFK and LaGuardia terminals.

(BNO NEWS )