Qantas is selling its stake in Jetstar Japan, a low-fare airline, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan Airlines, the other major shareholder in Jetstar. Within the non-binding agreement, Qantas intents to divest its entire shareholding in the carrier while Development Bank of Japan plans to enter as a shareholder, and Tokyo Century Corporation intends to keep its shareholding.
Jetstar Japan launched in 2012 as a joint venture between Qantas, Japan Airlines, and Tokyo Century Corporation, and currently operates 18 domestic routes and six international routes. With this new transition, the current state of play is that the airline will maintain its independent operations and flight schedules for the time being, however Jetstar will rebrand to a new name, with the announcement expected in October 2026. The carrier will focus on expanding its international network in line with Narita Airport’s expansion.
“We’ve built an amazing airline over the last nearly 14 years, carrying more than 55 million customers, and we thank Qantas for their support,” said Masakazu Tanaka, CEO and Representative Director, Jetstar Japan. “But as we look to the next chapter in Jetstar Japan’s history, I am pleased to work with the new ownership group to lead our LCC into the future. Our people are the heart of our airline, pioneering the low-cost aviation sector in Japan while maintaining excellent safety, operational and service standards and I look forward to leading them into our next phase of growth to deliver even more value to our customers.”
For Qantas Group, this will mean a refocusing of efforts into Qantas and Jetstar Airways, with a particular push to undergo the largest fleet renewal in the Group’s history.
“We’re incredibly proud of the pioneering role Jetstar Japan has played in the low-cost aviation sector in Japan and sincerely thank our Jetstar team members for their unwavering commitment to maintaining excellent safety, operational and service standards for millions of customers,” commented Vanessa Hudson, CEO, Qantas Group. “We’re confident the new ownership structure will deliver greater value to customers, benefitting from the Development Bank of Japan’s domestic and international aviation knowledge and industry expertise as well as their strong, long-standing relationships with national and regional tourism bodies.”
Photo: Jetstar Japan
