In 2020, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport started international operations (again!).  Tokyo’s Haneda airport, closer to downtown Tokyo, started accepting international flights from the Summer 2020 schedule. These slots are hot property because they allow much quicker access to the city. In the initial days, India had one daytime slot, which meant one could arrive or depart during the daytime hours. Vistara was the airline that took the bait and launched operations to Haneda; however, it had to quickly realign its position to free up the plane for another destination.

Air India will shift Tokyo flights from Narita to Haneda.

Air India has announced an upgrade to its non-stop services between Delhi and Tokyo. Beginning March 31, 2025, Air India will operate its 4x weekly flights from Delhi to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND), replacing its existing services to Narita International Airport (NRT), to provide passengers faster and more affordable access to central Tokyo.

Air India’s transition to Haneda Airport, located 18 km from downtown Tokyo, cuts travel time to Tokyo Station from nearly one hour by road (70 km from Narita) to approximately 30 minutes. This saves passengers valuable time and offers more cost-effective transportation options, enhancing the overall journey experience.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said on the move,

Moving our flights to Haneda Airport is a significant advantage for our guests – it brings them much closer to the centre of Tokyo. With this shift, we are not only connecting two vibrant capitals more effectively but also helping boost trade and tourism between India and Japan.

The schedule for the airline to fly into HND will be different than the airline’s schedule flying into Narita.

• AI358: Departs Delhi (DEL) at 2020 Hrs, arrives next day at Tokyo Haneda (HND) at 0755 Hrs – operates Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays
• AI357: Departs Tokyo Haneda (HND) at 11:50, arrives at Delhi (DEL) at 17:25 – operates Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays

Air India operates a midnight departure from Delhi to Tokyo Narita, which returns to Delhi at about 7 p.m. The realignment will allow the airline to offer connections from Tokyo Haneda on board ANA.

Air India Expands codeshare with All Nippon Airways.

Complementing the shift to Tokyo Haneda, Air India also announced an expanded codeshare agreement with its Star Alliance partner, All Nippon Airways (ANA), to provide Air India guests convenient onward connections from Tokyo Haneda to other major cities in Japan. This builds on Air India’s existing codeshare and interline agreements with ANA.

Subject to due regulatory approvals, beginning April 1, 2025, Air India will place its ‘AI’ designator code on ANA’s flights between Tokyo Haneda and six other cities in Japan: Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Okinawa, Osaka, and Sapporo. Air India guests can travel to any of these destinations on a single ticket, with their baggage checked throughout the journey.

Reciprocally, ANA will place its ‘NH’ designator code on Air India’s flights between Delhi and Tokyo Haneda, Delhi and Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune, enabling their customers seamless access to Air India’s robust domestic India network.

Air India and ANA first signed a codeshare agreement in April last year, which allowed Air India to codeshare on ANA’s Tokyo Haneda-Delhi and Tokyo-Narita-Mumbai flights and ANA to codeshare on Air India’s Delhi-Tokyo flights.

Commenting on the codeshare expansion, Nipun Aggarwal added,

Our deepened partnership with ANA opens up Japan like never before for our guests. By providing easy access for our guests to ANA’s domestic Japan network, combined with ANA’s reach into Air India’s extensive Indian network, we’re creating a stronger bridge between our two nations—making travel simpler and truly rewarding for our common guests.

ANA’s Executive Vice President of Alliances and International Affairs, Katsuya Goto, said,

To promote increased exchange between Japan and India, ANA is expanding its codeshare partnership with Star Alliance partner Air India to enhance its network. This expansion, with a focus on the increased codeshare options from Delhi to six destinations within India, will provide customers with more opportunities and seamless connections, delivering a satisfying experience for premium customers in particular. This is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to provide a superior travel experience for customers flying between Japan and India.

Passengers of both airlines flying on code-share flights will enjoy premium services such as lounge access and priority boarding that Star Alliance offers its premium members.

Air India’s Delhi-Tokyo Haneda flights will continue to be operated by its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. These aircraft feature 18 Business Class flatbeds and 238 spacious Economy seats. They enable seamless connections to/from several domestic Indian destinations and international routes across Asia and Europe.

Bottomline

Air India is moving its Tokyo flights from Delhi to operate from Tokyo Haneda as of March 31, 2025. The airline will also offer an enhanced connection from Haneda due to its deeper partnership with All Nippon Airways, over six cities in Japan. And ANA will also put its code on the Air India flight between India and Japan, and around India.

What do you think of this move from NRT to HND? And the expanded codeshare. 

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