Delta Airlines is seeking a daily nonstop flight between Portland and Tokyo-Haneda, the Japanese metropolis’ downtown airport.

The airline announced it had applied for a nonstop connection Thursday with the Department of Transportation. If approved, the new line would begin service in 2020, the airline said.

Delta operates Portland’s only nonstop connection to Tokyo-Narita airport five times per week, but it and other airlines are increasingly adding flights to Tokyo-Haneda, which has historically served domestic Japanese passengers but is welcoming more international flights.

The airline also sees an opportunity to continue to foster closer connections between the Pacific Northwest and Japan.

According to the federal application, Delta said Portland is its sixth largest market servicing the West Coast and Asia, narrowly trailing San Diego in daily travelers. Since 2004, Portland International Airport has relied on the airlines’ connection to Tokyo-Narita airport, which sits roughly 50 miles away from the Haneda airport. Narita’s airport is on as high-speed rail line, which whisks travelers into the city center in about an hour.

“Portland will tap in to a strong local market that currently has no nonstop access to Haneda,” the airline wrote in its application this week. Delta highlighted Portland’s “significant corporate presence” with companies like Nike, Columbia and Intel in the region, and the Rose City’s increasing connections with Japan through concerted efforts led by the Port of Portland, Delta and civic and business leaders.

Delta is also seeking daily flights to and from Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta and Honolulu. If approved, Portland would see twice daily flights to Haneda.

According to the application, Portland is “one of the fastest growing U.S. markets to Tokyo.” Delta said it saw a 38 percent compound annual growth rate from 2011 to 2018 in Portland, compared to its average of 21 percent in other American markets. The company did not provide additional data when asked about ridership figures.

The flight itself take nearly 11 hours from Portland to the downtown Tokyo airport, and a little more than 9 hours on the return leg. The proposal would call for 234 seats on the Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen

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