IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group, has restarted its direct service between London Heathrow and Tokyo Haneda airport with daily flights starting 13 November.

Throughout the duration of the pandemic, IAG Cargo maintained its customer offering on this popular trade route via its cargo-only services and worked with interline partners to transport cargo between the regions. The service utilise the belly hold capacity of British Airways’ Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft.

IAG said the restarted service will support the flow of pharmaceuticals, as well as shipments like electronics and automotive parts and other Japanese dried foods.

In 2021, the volume of air freight handled at Tokyo Haneda Airport in Japan amounted to roughly 828.06 thousand tonnes, up from around 772 thousand tonnes in the previous year.

Rob Wiemerink, Regional Commercial Manager for Asia Pacific and Middle East at IAG Cargo commented, “It’s great to see the return of our service between London and Tokyo – Japan for many years has played an important role in IAG Cargo’s Far East network. This route not only offers our customers capacity between the UK, Europe and Asia, but also facilitates the movement of trade into North and South America. I’m pleased to see these important trade lanes beginning to return after a long-awaited pause due to Covid-19.”

The company said it will continue to expand its capacity in South Asia with 16 destinations in Asia Pacific, India & Middle East from 13 November.