Japan Airlines set for stock market return

Japan Airlines, which underwent a government bailout two years ago, is to be listed again on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on September 19.

JAL, which competes against All Nippon Airways in Japan, filed one of Japan’s biggest corporate bankruptcies in the nation’s history, saddled with debt, unprofitable routes and a bloated workforce.

But it has been aiming for a comeback by ending some routes and entering the low-cost carrier business, which is still relatively new for Japanese because of a protective industry.

JAL has been battered by safety lapses, ballooning pension payments and the need to streamline its flight routes amid intensifying global competition.