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Airlines and transport

Japan Airlines 日本航空

Bankrupt and back in two years

Japan Airlines was founded in 1951 and became the national flag carrier. In 2010 it went bankrupt with huge debts, then cut costs so sharply under Kazuo Inamori, the founder of Kyocera, that it returned to the stock market in 2012.

Founded
1951
Shōwa 26
Founder
Japanese government and private investors
Started in
Tokyo
Status
Still trading
Age 75 years

Timeline

  1. 1951 (Shōwa 26)

    Japan Airlines is founded.

  2. 1954 (Shōwa 29)

    Starts international flights, to San Francisco.

  3. 1987 (Shōwa 62)

    Is fully privatised.

  4. 2010 (Heisei 22)

    Files for bankruptcy protection.

  5. 2012 (Heisei 24)

    Relists on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Years in brackets are the Japanese era year. Japanese era converter →

Did you know?

Its crane logo, the tsurumaru, was dropped in 2008 and brought back in 2011 as part of its recovery.

Dates follow the companies' own published histories where available. Trademarks belong to their owners; this page is not affiliated with any company listed.