During 2025 Leadership Mission to Asia, FloridaCommerce Announced New Charter Flights Between Orlando and Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan-During the 47^th Southeast U.S./Japan Association (SEUS-Japan) Annual Meeting, FloridaCommerce announced ZIPAIR, a subsidiary of Japan Airlines (JAL) is coming to Florida and offering four new nonstop passenger charter flights between Tokyo (NRT) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) that will cater to Florida-Japan business travel and connect Florida and Japanese families and cultures. This announcement comes as a result of several strategic efforts to further partnership between Florida and Japan including Governor DeSantis' meeting with the leading officials and business leaders from Japan at the November 2022 SEUS-Japan conference in Orlando, Governor DeSantis' April 2023 visit to Japan and the efforts of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority to bring this win to Florida.

"Thanks to Governor DeSantis' leadership, ZIPAIR's investment represents more than a business expansion-it is a powerful symbol of the growing economic partnership between Florida and Japan," said Florida Secretary of Commerce, J. Alex Kelly . "Japan is an increasingly important source of investment in Florida, and ZIPAIR's presence in Florida will cater to the growing business-travel need between Florida and Japan, further strengthening the economic, cultural and strategic ties that connect our two regions."

"There is no way to overstate the importance of this new service between Asia and Orlando International Airport," said Stephanie Kopelousos, Board Chair of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. "Not only does this new service validate the years of effort put into developing this relationship, it also lays the groundwork for continued cooperation and business opportunities for both Asia and Central Florida."

"As the world's tourism destination, Florida is ecstatic to welcome a new direct flight from Japan with ZIPAIR," said Bryan Griffin, President and CEO of VISIT Florida. "We welcome Japanese travelers to enjoy our state with this new, easy flight path, and VISIT Florida is enthusiastically committed to facilitating even more direct flights from Japan as a gateway to Asia and the Pacific."

In 2024, Florida welcomed a record-setting 143 million visitors-including nearly 9 million overseas travelers. That momentum has continued into 2025, with Florida welcoming 34.4 million visitors in the second quarter alone, leading the nation in both domestic and international travel.

The new ZIPAIR service is the result of the partnership between FloridaCommerce, SelectFlorida, VISIT FLORIDA and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. This new direct connection provides Japanese travelers greater access to Florida's world-class theme parks, convention centers, beaches, and growing business and technology sectors, while also providing Floridians with seamless connections to hundreds of destinations through ZIPAIR.

Florida serves as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, making it a prime location for Japanese companies expanding their footprint in the Western Hemisphere. Japan is Florida's 8th largest merchandise trading market and 2nd largest merchandise trading market in the Asia-Pacific region, with trade reaching more than $6.8 billion annually.