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Established

The predecessor of our current company, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. was founded on August 1, 1951 with 100 million yen in capital, and began scheduled air transportation on domestic routes independently from October of the following year.

Based on the Japan Airlines Act (Act No. 154 of 1953), as of October 1, 1953, the current company was established with 1 billion yen in government funding and 1 billion yen in sales, for a total of 2 billion yen in capital.

In this way, the established company inherited all of the rights and obligations of the previous company, and became licensed to become the nation's only scheduled international air carrier, along with its domestic routes.

Transition after Founding

This table can be scrolled horizontally.
August 1951 Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (former) was established with 100 million yen in capital. JAL began independent operation as a scheduled domestic air carrier from October of the following year.
October 1953 Under the Japan Airlines Act (Act No. 154 of 1953), Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. was established with a capital of 2 billion yen.
In addition with the operation of domestic routes, JAL obtained a license as the sole international scheduled air transportation company in Japan.
February 1954 Commenced the first scheduled international service, with the launching of the Tokyo - Honolulu - San Francisco route.
August 1960 Began service of the Douglas DC-8, the first jet airliner.
June 1961 Commenced northbound route to Europe.
October 1961 Listed on the second section of the stock exchange (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya).
October 1963 Merged with Japan Aircraft Maintenance Co., Ltd.
April 1964 Established Japan Domestic Airlines Co., Ltd. with the merger of Nitto Aviation Co., Ltd., FUJI AIR LINE Co., Ltd., and North Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.
January 1965 The first international travel packages in Japan (JALPAK) was offered.
November 1966 Commenced New York route.
March 1967 Commenced round the world route (westbound).
February 1970 Listed on the first section of the stock exchange (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya).
July 1970 Commenced operation of the Boeing 747 (jumbo jet).
May 1971 Toa Domestic Airlines Co., Ltd. was founded out of the merger of Japan Domestic Airlines Co., Ltd. and Toa Airways Co., Ltd.
August 1975 Founded Japan Asia Airways Co., Ltd. in order to operate route to Taiwan.
1983 World's number one passenger and cargo transportation performance according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
(Maintains No.1 in the world for 5 years, until 1987)
November 1987 Became full privatization.
July 1988 Toa Domestic Airlines Co., Ltd. changed its name to Japan Air System Co., Ltd.
January 1993 Introduced mileage program.
September 2002 Through the transfer of shares between Japan Air System Co., Ltd. and JAL, Japan Airlines System Co., Ltd. was established, and JAL was delisted from the stock exchange (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya).
October 2002 Japan Airlines System Co., Ltd. was listed on the first section of the stock exchange (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya).
April 2004 JAL and Japan Air System Co., Ltd. changed trading names to Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd. and Japan Airlines Domestic Co., Ltd. respectively. In order that JAL targeted international passenger and cargo operations; Japan Airlines Domestic Co., Ltd. was restructured to handle domestic passenger operations.
April 2004 Japan Asia Airways Co., Ltd. became wholly owned subsidiary through simple exchange of shares.
June 2004 Japan Airlines System Co., Ltd. changed trading name to Japan Airlines Corporation.
October 2006 Merged with Japan Airlines Domestic Co., Ltd.
April 2007 Joined the oneworld ® alliance.
April 2008 Merged with Japan Asia Airways Co., Ltd.
January 2010 JAL, Japan Airlines Corporation and JAL Capital Co., Ltd. file for reorganization proceedings.
February 2010 Japan Airlines Corporation was delisted from the first section of the stock exchange (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya) as part of reorganization proceedings.
November 2010 Obtained anti-trust approval (ATI) for American Airlines.
November 2010 Rehabilitation plan approved.
December 2010 Merged with Japan Airlines Corporation and JAL Capital Co., Ltd. At the same time, absorbed and merged with JALways Co., Ltd. and JAL LIVRE Co., Ltd.
March 2011 Completed corporate reorganization proceedings.
April 2011 Changed trading name from Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd. to Japan Airlines Co., Ltd.
April 2011 Commenced joint venture with American Airlines.
May 2012 Obtained anti-trust approval (ATI) for British Airways.
September 2012 Listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
October 2012 Commenced joint venture with British Airways.
October 2013 Obtained anti-trust approval (ATI) for Finnair's inclusion in the joint business between JAL and British Airways.
April 2014 Commenced joint venture with Finnair.
October 2014 JAL Express Co., Ltd. merged with Japan Airlines.
October 2014 Hokkaido Air System becomes subsidiary of Japan Airlines.

JAL's History

We will take a look back at the history of Japan Airlines (JAL), from its founding to the present day, with a timeline of details and notable events.

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