EDIT: Errors at 3:09 and 3:37. The MD90 was retired in 2013 and the A350900 was introduced in 2019.

Researching for this video made me realize how loyal JAL is to Boeing

Welcome to my Airline Fleet Evolution series that looks at the evolution of airline fleets. This series looks back at an airline's entire history yearbyyear, and all aircraft types operated by the featured airline will be showcased. Each type is usually pictured with the livery that was in use at the time of their introduction.

Japan was prohibited from all aeronautical activities at the end of World War II. As a result of this, their national airline at the time, Greater Japan Airways, ceased operations. It wasn't until 1951 that a new national carrier was formed. Japan Airlines was founded by the Japanese government on August 1, 1951 and initially flew a leased DC3 from Philippine Airlines. Regular services commenced in October 1951 with Martin 202s, with Northwest Orient pilots flying the aircraft. Transpacific flights were established on February 2, 1954 starting with the TokyoSan Francisco route. International services subsequently expanded to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. Jet operations began with the introduction of DC830s, and JAL became the first Asian operator of the Boeing 747, the world's first widebody aircraft, in 1970. The airline was also the launch customer of a special 747 version, the SR, which was designed to handle domestic routes within Japan. As a result of the 9/11 attacks, the airline merged with Japan Air System in 2002 and fully absorbed its network and fleet in 2006. JAL is a member of the OneWorld alliance and operates many routes within Asia and other parts of the globe.

Note: This video only covers JAL's main fleet and does not show aircraft operating for subsidiaries. Some of the retired aircraft types are still in service with those subsidiaries.

Outro video: Amazing Memories TOKYO NARITA 20 YEARS AGO    • Amazing Memories TOKYO NARITA 20 YEAR...  

Image sources: Google Images, Airliners.net, JetPhotos, AirHistory.net, flyteam.jp

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