Passenger traffic at Japan Airlines (JAL) fell in May because of flight cuts associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
JAL carried 252,274 passengers in May, 40.9pc less than in April and 93.3pc down on a year earlier. This included 8,295 international passengers, 48.3pc less than in April and 99pc down on the previous year. JAL carried 243,979 domestic passengers in May, 28.1pc less than in April and 92.5pc below May 2019.
The airline handled 42,173t of international and domestic air cargo and mail in May, 11.2pc higher than in April but 35pc less than a year earlier.
While JAL is cutting about 93pc of its international passenger flights in July, it reported about a 30pc recovery in domestic travel demand since the government lifted domestic travel restrictions on 19 June. It is expecting a higher 50pc recovery in the second half of July.
Passenger throughput at Japan's Narita airport also fell in May. The Tokyo airport hosted just 89,640 passengers through its terminals, 36.4pc less than in April and 97.5pc below a year earlier. Aircraft movements, including passenger and cargo flights, totalled 7,545 in May, 3.6pc higher than April but 66.2pc down on the previous year.
Narita also supplied 152,393 kilolitres (31,000 b/d) of jet fuel to aircraft in May, 14.7pc higher than in April but 59.9pc lower than a year earlier.
Japan produced about about 561,880 kl of jet fuel in May, 15pc higher than April but still 61pc lower than a year earlier, according to data from the Petroleum Association of Japan. Refiners have been maximising gasoil against jet fuel production, or blending jet fuel into gasoil, said market participants. While Japan produced about 2.7 times as much gasoil as jet fuel in 2019, it produced about 2.6mn b/d of gasoil from January-April this year, nearly four times the 754,000 b/d of jet fuel produced, according to PAJ data, because of weaker jet fuel demand.
