DALLAS — Virgin Australia (VA) has touched down in Japan, following its maiden flight to Haneda, Tokyo.

To commemorate the occasion, VA introduced a Japanese-inspired menu for the service, which includes bento boxes, dumplings, miso soup, noodles, curries, sake, and Japanese lager.

The Cairns-Haneda service will be available year-round, transporting 30,000 passengers on this new route between Australia and Japan. With same-day connecting flights from major Australian cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, Cairns serves as a convenient connection point for the Tokyo service.

Virgin Australia codeshares with ANA All Nippon Airways, hence today's (NH) 6416 outbound flight number.

“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,” said Nick Rohrlach, Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO and Japan Services Representative.

Featured image: Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 (the Tokyo route was operated with a -700). Photo: Noah Pitkin/Airways