Low-cost airline Zipair to launch frequent route from Vancouver to Tokyo

Zipair Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (left) and the Tokyo skyline with Mt. Fuji (right). (Shutterstock)

Get ready to fly between Vancouver and Tokyo for a relatively affordable price.

Zipair, a low-cost airline owned by Japan Airlines, will be launching a new direct, non-stop flight route between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Narita International Airport (NRT).

Megan Sutton, a spokesperson for the Vancouver Airport Authority, told Daily Hive the new service will launch sometime in March 2024, with a frequency of three roundtrips (six flights) per week. They are currently in the process of working with Zipair to finalize the schedule, with more details to be released over the coming weeks.

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Launched in 2018, Zipair is a new emerging player in the industry, operating on eight routes between NRT and San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Jose, Singapore, Seoul, Manila, and Bangkok. The pace of its expansion was impacted by the pandemic.

Its fleet is completely comprised of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

According to a news report by Japanese media on Wednesday, Zipair intends to eventually expand its frequency serving YVR to one roundtrip (two flights) per day, with the flight leaving Tokyo in the evening and arriving in Vancouver in the morning.

This will be the first low-cost flight option between Japan and Vancouver.

Currently, according to Zipair, roundtrip economy fares on flights operated by competitors on the YVR-NRT route start at about ¥200,000 or approximately CA$1,800. Zipair is aiming to offer roundtrip fares at roughly half the price — about ¥200,000 or CA$900. Bookings will open in December 2023 in advance of launch.

On Zipair, passengers can bring up to two carry-on baggage items, but there are additional fees if the combined weight of the carry-on bags exceeds 7 kg (15.4 lb). There are also separate fees for each checked bag.

In advance of the flight, passengers can also purchase and select their in-flight meals, snacks, and amenities (blanket, ear plugs, eye mask, neck pillow, and slippers).

Daily Hive was unable to reach Zipair in time for publication.

The existing non-stop flight options between Vancouver and Tokyo entail routes operated by Japan Airlines and Air Canada reaching NRT, and All Nippon Airways reaching Haneda Airport (HND). Each of these three airlines currently fly roundtrip (two flights) daily for a total frequency of three roundtrips (six flights) per day.

YVR Airport New Flights 2022-2024

May 1, 2022: Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ) — Air Canada, 5x weekly
May 16, 2022: Kelowna, BC (YLW) — Flair Airlines, 3x weekly
May 17, 2022: San Francisco, California (SFO) — Flair Airlines, 3x weekly
May 2, 2022: Quebec City, Quebec — Air Canada Rouge, 3x weekly (summer seasonal)
June 1, 2022: Austin, Texas — Air Canada, 4x weekly
June 15, 2022: Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP) — Sun Country Airlines, 2x weekly (summer seasonal)
June 9, 2022: New York City (JFK) — JetBlue, daily
November 25, 2022: Nadi, Fiji (NAN) — Fiji Airways, 2x weekly (winter seasonal)
December 9, 2022: Toronto, Ontario (YYZ) — Canada Jetlines, 2x weekly
December 16, 2022: Houston, Texas (IAH) — Air Canada, daily
December 17, 2022: Miami, Florida (MIA) — Air Canada, 3x weekly
February 7, 2023: Toronto, Ontario (YYZ) — Porter Airlines, 3x daily
May 17, 2023: Atlanta, Georgia (ATL) — WesetJet, 4x weekly (seasonal)
May 19, 2023: Nashville, Tennessee (BNA) — WestJet, 2x weekly (seasonal)
June 1, 2023: Washington, DC (IAD) — Air Canada, 5x weekly (seasonal)
June 15, 2023: Boston, Massachusetts (BOS) — JetBlue, daily (seasonal)
October 28, 2023: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB) — Air Canada, 4x weekly
March 2024 (exact date TBA): Tokyo, Japan (Narita; NRT) — Zipair, 3x weekly
April 3, 2024: Singapore (SIN) — Air Canada, 4x weekly
April 28, 2024: Detroit, Michigan (DTW) — WestJet, daily (seasonal)

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