During the 1990s, JAL was hit by the effects of Japan's recession, increased foreign competition and the strengthening of the Japanese Yen, JAZ was given a new role to help reduce costs. The airline obtained the license to operate scheduled services on July 30, 1999 and would operate as a scheduled carrier on a wet-lease basis for JAL. It would operate on high-density low yield tourist routes in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly the Japan–Hawaii services; with a fleet of four McDonnell Douglas DC-10s and five Boeing 747s.