East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (JAL) signed an agreement on February 6, 2026, to “strengthen cooperation toward regional revitalization in the East Japan area.” The agreement aims to leverage the strengths of both companies in rail and air transport to contribute to regional revitalization in East Japan, with the overall initiative positioned as the “Regional Future Revitalization Strategy.” The strategy is built on three pillars — “creation of wide-area tourism models,” “creation of relationship populations and resident populations,” and “creation of new markets” — and aims to invigorate the flow of people and goods and address regional challenges.
(Source: JAL)
For the creation of wide-area tourism models, the two companies will promote “three-dimensional tourism” combining rail and air transport. In place of the conventional travel format premised on round-trip use, flexibly combining rail and air will increase itinerary flexibility and enable efficient wide-area travel and the creation of new tourism routes. In addition, to realize seamless travel experiences linking rail and air, the companies will advance feasibility studies on simplifying booking and travel procedures using MaaS, optimizing operational information, and integrating air and rail usage.
For the creation of relationship populations and resident populations, the partnership emphasizes building a travel environment that supports dual-region living. Building on JAL’s existing dual-region living support initiatives, the companies will work with local governments and regional stakeholders to study new measures that combine Shinkansen and air travel to reduce travel burdens. They also plan to leverage JR East’s forthcoming “Local Suica (Gotochi Suica)” to roll out original services and regional discounts for dual-region residents, generating flows of people moving between cities and regions.
(Source: JAL)
For the creation of new markets, the two companies will strengthen cooperation in logistics. Through the expansion of services such as “JAL de Hakobyun,” they aim to improve transport efficiency and expand overseas, while also coordinating baggage delivery centered on stations and airports to reduce travel burdens for travelers. Furthermore, through co-creation projects that leverage the history and culture of regional products, they intend to drive higher value-add and revitalize regional economies. Going forward, the two companies will continue working with diverse partners on regional revitalization in the East Japan area.