Dream - An aircraft owned by Japan Airlines (JAL) carrying 379 passengers caught fire on the runway at Haneda Airport, Tokyo, on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The plane caught fire after colliding with a Japan Coast Guard (JCG) aircraft that was assisting earthquake relief efforts. CNN reported that the commercial flight, numbered 516, caught fire after flying to Haneda from the northern Japanese city of Sapporo at 17:47 local time.

"The airline stated that all 379 passengers and crew members have been safely evacuated," Reuters wrote as quoted by Dream on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. Unfortunately, five Coast Guard crew members have died, as reported by Channel News Asia. Transportation Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed the deaths of the five crew members, while the 39-year-old aircraft captain managed to escape but suffered injuries."

According to its official website, Japan Airlines was also named the Best Asia Pacific Major Airline for punctuality in 2018. Japan Airlines was also awarded the prestigious titles of "World's Best Economy Class" and "World's Best Economy Class Seat" at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards 2023. This marks JAL's third victory in this category.

Japan Airlines explains that economy class seats for international routes, namely JAL SKY WIDER, are installed on Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787, and Boeing 767 aircraft. As for domestic routes, Japan Airlines introduced the Airbus350 in September 2019 and the Boeing 787 in October 2019. Each seat is equipped with a personal screen and power outlet. Passengers can enjoy various in-flight entertainment (IFE) and free Wi-Fi.

"Japan Airlines also received the World Class 2024 award from APEX for three consecutive years, making it the only Japanese airline to receive the award at the APEX/IFSA EXPO 2023. In addition, JAL also received the 'Best-in-Class in Safety and Well-Being' award for exceptional efforts in safety, security, and well-being."