Virgin’s maiden Japan flight takes-off with return sale fares from $699

Virgin Australia has made aviation history with the official launch of its Cairns to Tokyo service and it’s having a huge sale to celebrate.

Virgin’s insane $699 return flights to Japan. Picture: Brendan Radke

Virgin Australia has made aviation history with the official launch of its Cairns to Haneda, Tokyo service — connecting the two iconic destinations for the first time ever.

The first flight, VA77, took off at 1.15pm AEST on Wednesday and is due to arrive in Tokyo at 8pm JST.

The daily, year-round service will offer travellers more than 2,000 value seats each week between the popular destinations, opening a new gateway of travel between Australia and Japan.

Cairns Airport will also become a convenient connection point for Virgin Australia to operate the Tokyo service, with same day connecting flights between the airport and major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Virgin Australia’s first ever Cairns-Haneda, Tokyo service took off on June 28. Picture: Brendan Radke

To celebrate the new service, Virgin dropped its ‘Take off for Tokyo’ sale, giving travellers the opportunity to discover the city from as low as $699 for an Economy Lite return ticket from Cairns.

The sale fares are available to book now until midnight AEST Tuesday, July 4 2023, unless sold out prior.

But the airline expects the fares to sell out quickly.

To celebrate, the airline launched a seven-day ‘Take off for Tokyo’ sale, with return airfares starting from $699. Picture: Virgin Australia website

“So we are encouraging travellers to get in early to make the most of the sale,” Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO and Japan Services Representative, Nick Rohrlach said.

“We know that Cairns has consistently ranked as one of the most popular tourist destinations among Japanese visitors to Australia and we are thrilled to unlock a new convenient gateway for Japanese travellers to explore all Far North Queensland has to offer, while injecting a welcome boost of tourism into the region.

“Today is also a significant day for Velocity members who can now earn and redeem Points when travelling to over 500 destinations around the world with Virgin Australia and our partner airlines.”

Mr Rohrlach said the in-flight experience would also include a touch of Tokyo, with destination-inspired offerings across its on-board food and beverage menu.

“Creating wonderful travel experiences starts in the air, and we are excited to bring a little slice of Tokyo to life on board for our guests, whether that is building excitement before they touch down or to mark the unforgettable trip they don’t want to end,” he said.

“Travellers can expect to find delicious Japanese-inspired dishes like a bento box, dumplings, miso soup, noodles and curries, along with some tried and tested Western meals, when flying on our Tokyo services. We have something to suit all tastebuds.”

Cairns Airport chief operating officer Garry Porter said it was ideal timing for the new direct services to commence.

“With the mild winter weather in Tropical North Queensland our region offers the perfect backdrop for visitors to enjoy our natural attractions and cultural experiences, everything the Japanese enjoy,” he said.

“It has been more than a decade since we had a full-service carrier servicing the route from Tokyo to Cairns, and that coincided with peak Japanese visitation, which is a great indication of the potential of these new flights.”