Virgin Australia’s first ever Cairns-Haneda, Tokyo service (VA77) will take off at 1.15pm (AEST) today, arriving in Tokyo at 8:00pm (JST).

The daily, year-round service will offer travellers more than 2,000 great value seats each week between the popular destinations, opening a new gateway of travel between Australia and Japan.

Cairns Airport will evolve into a convenient connection point for Virgin Australia to operate the Tokyo service, with easy, same day connecting flights between the airport and major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

Virgin Australia has also unveiled a new Business Class and Economy menu to be served on the service with signature Japanese dishes, an array of iconic Japanese snacks alongside classic Western meal options.

Velocity Frequent Flyer’s more than 11.5 million members will now be able to earn and redeem Points to over 500 destinations around the world.
To celebrate the maiden service, Virgin Australia has launched a seven-day ‘Take off for Tokyo’ sale, with return airfares starting from $699* (Economy Lite from Cairns). Sale ends midnight AEST Tuesday 4 July 2023, here.

Wednesday, 28 June 2023: Virgin Australia will take off with its much-anticipated year-round service from Cairns to Haneda, Tokyo today, connecting two iconic destinations for the first time in aviation history.

Launched in partnership with the Queensland Government and Cairns Airport through the Queensland Government’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, the daily service will mean that more than 2,000 great value seats will be available to book each week between Cairns and Tokyo, with convenient same-day connections between major Australian cities and Cairns.

Tokyo sale from $699 return*

To celebrate the new service, Virgin Australia has today dropped its ‘Take off for Tokyo’ sale, giving travellers the opportunity to discover Tokyo from as low as $699* Economy Lite return from Cairns. The sale fares are available to book now until midnight AEST Tuesday 4 July 2023, unless sold out prior here.

Virgin Australia has also unveiled a new Japanese-inspired Business Class and Economy menu, exclusive to flights between Cairns and Haneda, Tokyo. Dishes include a Japanese bento box, pan fried pork dumplings, miso soup and green tea cake, along with popular local snacks (refer Notes to Editor for full menu).

New fuel-efficient aircraft on track to arrive this week

Today’s inaugural service comes as Virgin Australia takes delivery of the first of eight new Boeing 737-8 fuel-efficient aircraft in Seattle, which is scheduled to touch down on Australian soil this week. The aircraft will enter service in the coming weeks to operate Virgin Australia’s Cairns-Tokyo route, once routine regulatory approvals have been completed.

Commentary:

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO and Japan Services Representative, Nick Rohrlach said the launch of the Cairns-Haneda service marks an exciting milestone for Virgin Australia as it continues to grow its international network and provide more value and choice to Australians.

“Today marks the start of our highly anticipated services to Haneda, Tokyo, which means Australian travellers will benefit from greater value and choice when flying to Japan as we expand our international footprint,” said Mr Rohrlach.

“We know that Cairns has consistently ranked as one of the most popular tourist destinations among Japanese visitors to Australia and we are thrilled to unlock a new convenient gateway for Japanese travellers to explore all Far North Queensland has to offer, while injecting a welcome boost of tourism into the region.

“To celebrate this significant milestone, we have today launched a Tokyo airfare sale with return Economy fares from as low as $699* until midnight next Tuesday. We expect the fares to sell out quickly so we are encouraging travellers to get in early to make the most of the sale.

“Today is also a significant day for Velocity members who can now earn and redeem Points when travelling to over 500 destinations around the world with Virgin Australia and our partner airlines.”

Mr Rohrlach said the in-flight experience would also include a touch of Tokyo, with destination-inspired offerings across its onboard food and beverage menu.

“Creating wonderful travel experiences starts in the air, and we are excited to bring a little slice of Tokyo to life on board for our guests, whether that is building excitement before they touch down or to mark the unforgettable trip they don’t want to end,” he said.

“Travellers can expect to find delicious Japanese-inspired dishes like a bento box, dumplings, miso soup, noodles and curries, along with some tried and tested Western meals, when flying on our Tokyo services. We have something to suit all tastebuds.”

Cairns Airport Chief Operating Officer Garry Porter said it was ideal timing for the new direct services to commence.

“With the mild winter weather in Tropical North Queensland our region offers the perfect backdrop for visitors to enjoy our natural attractions and cultural experiences, everything the Japanese enjoy,” he said.

“It has been more than a decade since we had a full-service carrier servicing the route from Tokyo to Cairns, and that coincided with peak Japanese visitation, which is a great indication of the potential of these new flights.

“With Virgin Australia’s extensive domestic network in Cairns we also expect to see travellers from southern states opt to travel via Cairns to visit Japan, especially during the Japanese winter ski season, which is always a drawcard for Aussie winter sport enthusiasts.”