- Virgin Australia will cease operating its once daily flight between Cairns and Tokyo, Haneda from 24 February 2025.
- The decision to withdraw from the route follows the slow recovery of inbound visitors travelling from Japan to Australia, which remains ~up to 35 per cent below pre-COVID levels*.
- There are a small number of impacted customers travelling with Virgin Australia to Tokyo from 24 February 2025 and they will be offered a refund of their booking.
- Virgin Australia customers and Velocity Frequent Flyer members will continue to have access to up to 17 services each week between Australia and Japan with the airline's partner, All Nippon Airways (ANA).
- Through ANA, Japanese travellers will also continue to have direct access to popular Australian tourist destinations, including Cairns and Far North Queensland, on Virgin Australia's extensive domestic network which can be booked on a single ticket from Japan.
- Virgin Australia will re-deploy its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft that currently operate Cairns-Tokyo services onto domestic routes.
Monday 22 July 2024: Virgin Australia has announced it will cease operating its once daily flight between Cairns and Tokyo, Haneda from 24 February 2025 as a result of factors including the slow recovery of inbound visitors from Japan, which is up to 35 per cent below pre-COVID levels*.
The airline first launched its Cairns-Tokyo, Haneda services in June 2023. However, a below forecast recovery of visitors travelling from Japan to Australia due to sustained weakness in the Japanese Yen, has impacted demand for the services, rendering the route commercially unsustainable.
Impacted customers offered a refund of their booking
There are approximately 2,000 impacted customers travelling with Virgin Australia to Tokyo, Haneda after 24 February 2025. Customers who booked for travel after 24 February via virginaustralia.com will be contacted by email within the next 24 hours to arrange a refund of their booking.
Customers who booked through a travel agency or third-party booking website are encouraged to contact them to request a refund and to make alternative travel arrangements.
