Society

JAL reports first net loss since 2012 relisting as pandemic bites

May 08 (Japan Times) - Japan Airlines Co. on Friday reported a net loss of ¥286.69 billion for the business year through March as the coronavirus pandemic depressed travel demand, causing the company to log its first red ink since relisting in 2012 following business rehabilitation.

JAL, which has been undergoing cost-cutting to ride out the COVID-19 crisis, did not disclose earnings forecasts for the current year through next March, citing uncertainty.

JAL logged a loss of ¥398.31 billion before interest and taxes as sales plunged 65.3% from the year before to ¥481.23 billion in the year through March 31.

JAL is not alone in struggling to stay afloat as the pandemic limited people’s movement and economic activity. Last week, its domestic rival ANA Holdings Inc., the parent of All Nippon Airways Co., reported a record net loss of ¥404.62 billion for fiscal 2020.

Imperial Family Pays Tribute to War Victims

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

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