Middle Eastern Airlines predict Japan will be lucrative market in 2010

The three leading Middle Eastern airlines - Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways - predict that Japan will become a lucrative route in 2010.

Emirates revealed that it will launch non-stop services to Tokyo Narita, complementing its Japanese operation to Osaka.

Emirates will introduce the five-time weekly service on 28 March next year and operate the service with Boeing 777-300ERs.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways recently received traffic rights to launch services to Nagoya and Tokyo in the first quarter of 2010, marking the airline's first destinations in Japan.

Doha's Qatar Airways has also announced plans to launch daily flights to Tokyo early next year.

Emirates have already received regulatory approvals to introduce services to Tokyo, whilst both Etihad and Qatar Airways are still awaiting respective official sanctions.

"We have always stated our desire to expand our links with Japan - a market we are extensively committed to.