Airbus in Japan

Airbus has been well established in Japan for many years. More than 100 Airbus aircraft have been ordered by Japanese airlines, with at least 70 already in operation.

Ties between Airbus and the Japanese industry have grown closer with a number of leading Japanese companies contributing to the A380 programme.

Airbus Japan is responsible for all local industrial and customer service activities covering industrial partners and operators alike. The company's offices are based in the heart of Tokyo.

Airbus entered the Japanese market in 1979 when Japan Air Systems (JAS, now merged with Japan Airlines) ordered a fleet of six A300B2s. These were the first widebody jets to be acquired by the carrier and were used to meet demand on domestic routes as well as to develop regional operations. Today JAL operates various types of A300s.

All Nippon Airways became the second Japanese airline to "go Airbus," ordering 10 A320s - which entered service in 1991. All Nippon later took delivery of seven new A321s, which became the first foreign-built civil airliner to gain Japanese type certification.

In May 2005, Sagawa Express Co. Ltd, one of the largest cargo business companies in Japan, established a subsidiary, Galaxy Airlines Co. Ltd, and selected Airbus' A300-600 freighter to inaugurate its own air transport business in Japan.

The march of the low-cost airlines has not left Japan untouched. The A320 Family, as has been proved by the burgeoning low-cost market in Europe, is the ideal aircraft to meet the needs of such airlines. Japan’s new low-cost airline StarFlyer started operation with the A320 on the Kita-Kyushu-Tokyo route in March 2006.

Airbus' presence in Japan is also about building industrial partnerships and long-term relationships in a country renowned for its innovative skills.

A total of 16 Japanese companies have become suppliers for Airbus' best selling single-aisle A320 Family. For example, Kawasaki Heavy Industries supplies fuselage panels for the A321, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) started producing wing shroud boxes for the A319 and A320 in 2000. Also, Jamco produces parts for the vertical tail plane and galley, and Toray or Toho Tenax supplies carbon fibre material for the A320 Family programme.

The A330/A340 programme involves a total of 17 Japanese companies. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries manufactures aft cargo doors, while Sumitomo Precision Products supplies landing gear jacks, and Sumitomo Metal Industries provides titanium sheet. In November 2003, Bridgestone, Furukawa-Sky Aluminum, and ShinMaywa joined the list of A330/A340 programme suppliers. Bridgestone now supplies tires to all the Airbus aircraft and develops new technology tires for the A340-500/600 models. Furukawa-Sky Aluminium provides a new superplastic aluminum alloy, while ShinMaywa supplies the wing root fillet fairing.

The A380 has forged even stronger partnerships between Airbus and the Japanese industry - and ultimately with the global aerospace industry as a whole. It is estimated that A380 programme business will bring around US $4.6 billion to the Japanese industry in the coming years, reflecting Airbus confidence in Japanese skills, reliability, technological leadership and quality standards.

Airbus aims to further strengthen its partnership with Japanese companies and build cooperative relationships that would benefit both sides for future business development.

With eight out of 10 main A380 routes expected to begin or end in the Asia-Pacific region over the next 20 years, Airbus sees Japan as a key market for the new aircraft.






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