JR East and JAL Join Forces for Regional Travel

Feb 09, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - JR East and Japan Airlines have signed a partnership agreement aimed at regional revitalization and revealed they will consider integrating tickets in the future.

At a press conference held at Takanawa Gateway City in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, the two companies announced they had concluded an agreement to cooperate on regional revitalization initiatives.

The firms plan to begin by strengthening collaboration in eastern Japan, including developing travel products that treat Hokkaido and the Tohoku region as a single area and exploring the possibility of unified tickets.

They aim to improve convenience by seamlessly connecting rail and air travel, though issues related to reservation systems remain, and the timing of specific measures will be examined going forward.

JR East President Kise Yoichi: "Taking this partnership as an opportunity, we will work to create various forms of value that can be realized by combining our rail and aviation networks and deepening cooperation between the two companies."

Japan Airlines President Tottori Mitsuko: "Starting with the Tohoku region, we want to attract visitors to every corner of Japan and help them discover the country’s appeal."

With the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 surpassing 40 million for the first time, the long-time rivals are joining forces to create new value on the back of strong inbound tourism.

Source: FNN

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