The new service will make Portland the airline’s eighth US-Japan gateway and fourth West coast destination from Tokyo, more than what’s offered by any other US airline on both counts, as well as the first new Tokyo gateway that the airline has launched in almost five years.
"Northwest is excited by the opportunity to bring our 56 years of trans-Pacific experience, unrivaled Asia-Pacific network, and customer comforts and services to the Tokyo-Portland market," said Richard Anderson, chief executive officer of Northwest Airlines. "Travelers to and from Oregon will now have the convenience of nonstop flights from our Satellite 2 facilities at Narita Airport near Tokyo, and single connections between Portland and 12 cities in our Asia-Pacific network."
Through Northwest’s Tokyo hub, travelers destined for Portland will be able to make single connections from the airline’s Asia-Pacific network which includes Bangkok, Thailand; Beijing; Busan, South Korea; Guam; Hong Kong; Manila, Philippines; Nagoya, Japan; Saipan, Mariana Islands; Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Singapore and Taipei, Taiwan.
"Leaders in business, government and at the Port of Portland made it clear to Northwest that the community would value and support nonstop service to Tokyo," said Phil Haan, executive vice president of international, sales and information services. "We view today’s announcement as the beginning of what we hope will be a mutually beneficial partnership to make Tokyo- Portland service a success for business and leisure travelers, the community and Northwest."
Northwest’s new flights are timed to allow convenient connections in Portland to 30 US destinations served by Northwest and its marketing partner airlines, including Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
Flight 6 will depart Tokyo at 3:10 p.m. and arrive at Portland International Airport at 8:15 a.m. PST the same day. Flight 5 will depart Portland at 1:50 p.m. PST and arrive in Tokyo the following day at 4:30 p.m.
Initially, the flight will be operated with a DC10-30 aircraft, with 26 seats in Northwest’s World Business Class and 247 seats in coach class.
Eventually, the flight will utilize Northwest’s new long-range Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with 32 seats in World Business Class and 211 seats in coach class. Northwest will begin taking delivery of the first of 10 new A330-200s it has ordered in mid-2004.
The A330-200 will be equipped with Northwest’s new lie-flat World Business Class seat that allows passengers to recline to 176 degrees, offering more degrees of recline than what is available on any other US airline and many international carriers. Northwest’s new World Business Class seat offers passengers a virtually infinite number of adjustments so that the seat is able to conform to the position that is most comfortable for the individual passenger.
The A330-200 will also be equipped with Northwest’s new, fully interactive in-flight entertainment system, offering both World Business Class and coach customers a wide variety of music, movies, short subject programs, games, shopping, and inflight information, all "on demand." The new system permits customers the freedom and flexibility to start, pause, or stop any of these options at any time. World Business Class seats have a 10.4 inch video screen, which is 50 percent larger than the screens found in business class seats on other US airlines and many international airlines. Coach seats have an individual 6.5 inch screen.
