Japan Airlines and Aeroflot have signed a preliminary
cooperation agreement, citing increased travel demand between Japan and Russia
since the two countries relaxed visa requirements for one another earlier this
year.
Per the memorandum of understanding signed by the two
carriers, they will begin codesharing on flights between Russia and Japan as
well as Aeroflot's domestic flights and JAL domestic and international flights
after the 2018 fiscal year. The carriers also plan to cooperate with frequent
flyer programs and airport locations and are considering a joint business down
the road.
At the beginning of this year, Russia and Japan both introduced
new multiple entry visas for each other's citizens, including business visas
valid for up to five years. Russian travel to Japan was up 40.2 percent year
over year from January through October, according to Russian news agency TASS.
The partnership crosses alliances, with Aeroflot a member of
SkyTeam and JAL a member of Oneworld.