Japanese airline ANA plans to launch flights from Tokyo to Moscow next year. The carrier plans to fly from Haneda Airport, the closest airport to central Tokyo. In Moscow, ANA plans to use Domodedovo Airport, according to a Travel.ru correspondent.
The company promises to publish the exact schedule, launch date, flight frequency, and other details within a month. Ticket sales will also begin at that time. The flight will launch on the summer schedule (no earlier than the end of March).
As a reminder, Domodedovo faced the possibility of losing its Tokyo flights starting in late March next year, when another Japanese airline, JAL, plans to move to Sheremetyevo. This move is also motivated by a desire to fly to Moscow from Haneda Airport instead of Narita Airport, which is currently used and is further from central Tokyo.
Japanese transport authorities are demanding that airlines not only switch from Narita to Haneda, but also maintain the Narita route. JAL doesn't need two flights to Moscow from different airports, but the company has found a solution. It involves a codeshare agreement with Aeroflot, which flies from Sheremetyevo to Narita. In this case, JAL will be able to sell tickets for these Aeroflot flights, thereby formally maintaining this route in its schedule and fulfilling the Japanese authorities' requirement. This agreement with Aeroflot will result in JAL itself switching to Sheremetyevo. It's likely that the future codeshare agreement will also include connections at Sheremetyevo with Aeroflot's domestic and possibly European flights.
As a result, passengers from Moscow will likely have two flights to Haneda Airport starting next summer, which was previously unavailable from Russia. The first will be a JAL flight transferred to Sheremetyevo, and the second will be a new ANA flight. In addition to its proximity to central Tokyo, Haneda also offers significantly more connecting options within Japan.
Aeroflot, for whom domestic connections within Japan are less critical, will continue to fly to Narita Airport. The company will also launch flights to Osaka, another major Japanese city, next year. JAL and ANA plan to soon launch flights from Tokyo and Vladivostok. The sharp increase in flight frequency to Japan is due to the significant simplification of visa requirements for Russian citizens visiting Japan.
Source: travel.ru