Japan Airlines and Nippon Express to launch Asia–North America cargo route in 2026

Japan Airlines and logistics company Nippon Express will open a cargo link between North America and Asia on 3 October 2026. A Boeing 747 freighter secured by JAL with partners will fly the service, carrying up to about 100 tonnes.

The weekly rotation goes from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita, on to Taipei and Singapore, then back to Los Angeles via Narita. Cargo can be loaded and unloaded at every stop.

Targeted traffic includes semiconductor and AI-related goods, plus heavy and oversize items such as server racks and data centre equipment. One rotation a week is planned for 2026 at first, and the two companies have held out the prospect of expanding the cargo network later.