Japan Airlines offers free ticket changes, refunds in wake of Haneda collision

Flight JL516 from Hokkaido to Tokyo had been cleared to land by air traffic controllers at Haneda Airport. - AFP

SINGAPORE: Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced that it will be offering free booking changes or refunds to passengers who have booked tickets on its international and domestic flights for dates up to March 31, 2024.

This comes a day after Japan Airlines flight JL516 collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane while landing at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on Jan 2.

All 379 passengers and crew on board the Airbus A350 aircraft were evacuated safely from the aircraft, but five of the six Coast Guard crew members were killed in the collision.

A Japan Times report states that the five Coast Guard members who perished were: Yoshiki Ishida, 27; Wataru Tatewaki, 39; Nobuyuki Tahara, 41; Makoto Uno, 47; and Shigeaki Kato, 56.

The 39-year-old pilot of the Coast Guard plane, Genki Miyamoto, was able to pull himself from the wreckage to report that his aircraft had exploded on the runway but remains severely injured.

In a statement on its Facebook page and website, JAL said: “We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the Japan Coast Guard personnel who lost their lives as a result and apologise for the distress and inconvenience caused to our passengers, their families, and those affected.

“The safety of our customers and employees is our number one priority, and we are cooperating fully with the investigation.”

Customers will have up to Jan 31 to apply for the booking changes and refunds, which are eligible only for tickets issued before Jan 2.

A one-time booking change will be performed for alternate international flights up till April 20, 2024 while cancellations should be made at least three hours before departure time.

Those who have booked domestic tickets may change to an alternate flight departing up to 30 days from the original departure date and may apply for a refund at least 20 minutes before the departure time of their flight.

The announcement also includes tickets booked on code-shared flights and flights on its subsidiary airlines which include low-cost carriers Zipair, Spring Airlines and Jet Star Japan, as well as domestic carriers Hokkaido Air System, Ryukyu Air Commuter and Japan Transocean Air.

Japan Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance which includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Qantas.

JAL’s announcement sparked numerous reactions in the comments section of its post. Many sent condolences to the families of the deceased but also expressed their confidence in the airline, praising the JAL crew for being able to evacuate everyone on board quickly. All passengers and crew survived the accident, with only 17 people injured.

Facebook user Penny McVicar said: “Deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who perished. The crew of JL516 did an amazing job to get all those passengers off safely under terrible circumstances. We are flying JAL next month and have no hesitation. Thank you for your compassion.”

Alvin Rongo added: “Condolences to the families of the victims. To the crews of JL516, you are all angels and heroes of the 379 passengers on board.” - The Straits Times/ANN