QATAR Airways is reportedly considering halting its daily services from Doha to three airports in Japan in a dispute over the timing of its arrival and departure slots.
A source claimed the airline is in “the final stages of deliberations” on withdrawing its flights to Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports, as well as its service to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, Reuters reported.
“This is due to the restrictive policies over slot timings and runway limitations that prohibit the airline from operating at timings that provide economic benefits and optimal connectivity for passengers,” said the source.
When contacted by TTG Asia e-Daily in Tokyo and Doha, the airline declined to comment on the reports.
Restrictions on airlines’ access to slots at Japanese airports have long been a concern for the industry, even after the massive expansion of Haneda Airport.
“There are very strict regulations on airport slots here, with part of the problem the capacity of air traffic control to handle flights in and out of Japanese airports,” Geoffrey Tudor, an analyst for Japan Aviation Management Research, told TTG Asia e-Daily.
“Qatar Airlines is a fairly recent addition to the airlines serving Japan and there is substantial competition with other Middle Eastern airlines coming here,” he said, adding that airlines in the region have become increasingly popular as transit hubs for passengers travelling between the Far East and Europe.
Other airlines have long been calling for improved access to the most convenient – and therefore most popular and lucrative – slots at Japanese airports, which they claim are preferentially allocated to domestic giants Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways to a degree that is unfair.
“The majority of airport slots are allocated very conservatively and are subject to a lot of local pressure,” said Tudor, pointing out that Tokyo’s Narita Airport is subject to a curfew between 23.00 and 6.00 due to concerns over noise pollution affecting nearby residents.
