Japan Airlines will be returning to the Seattle area after a long absence with a new Tokyo-Seattle service set to take to the skies starting March 31, 2019.

The new daily non-stop service will fly from Seattle to Tokyo-Narita Boeing 787 aircraft, and will also be promoted by American Airlines through the JAL-American joint venture.

“Tokyo is Seattle’s second largest international market, and is a strong destination for both business and leisure travelers,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Ryan Calkins. “With additional growth of international services in response to the demand of our growing region, this announcement highlights the need to move forward with the construction of new International Arrivals Facility.”

"We are pleased to announce the introduction of the Seattle-Narita route, which will go into service in March 2019. Along with our joint business partner, American Airlines, we look forward to welcoming more visitors to Asia for business or pleasure who will experience Japanese hospitality from the moment they step onboard the aircraft," said Tadashi Fujita, executive vice president of Japan Airlines.

JAL will join All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Delta Airlines offering flights from Seattle to Tokyo.

The announcement by Japan Airlines follows Cathay Pacific’s addition of the “Emerald City” to its network. Cathay will launch its Hong Kong-Seattle service on the same day as JAL’s new Seattle-Tokyo flights.

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