Monday, December 1, 2014

IBEX Airlines retires first Bombardier CRJ.

IBEX Airlines' [FW/IBX] first aircraft, Bombardier CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-100LR JA01RJ, was retired after operating its last revenue flight on November 11th. Earlier last month, the Sendai [SDJ/RJSS]-based commuter carrier took delivery of its sixth CL-600-2C10 CRJ-702NG, JA10RJ, beginning a transition to an all-CRJ-700NG fleet by the end of FY2016 (IBEX to retire Bombardier CRJ-100/200s by FY2016.).

Sister-ship Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-100LR JA02RJ, the remaining sole Series 100, taxies at New Chitose Airport near Sapporo. It will also be retired next year. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Originally founded on January 29th, 1999 as The Fair Inc (d.b.a. Fair), Japan's first independent regional start-up took delivery of the first aircraft from Lauda Air [NG/LDA] on May 31st, 2000. Service was inaugurated two months later on August 7th from Sendai to Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB]. The current name was taken up on October 1st, 2004, after Japan Digital Laboratory (JDL), which now controls 47.9% (its President Kazuo Maezawa owns another 18.8%), became by far the largest shareholder.

IBEX currently operates six CRJ-700NGs, two CRJ-200ERs, and one CRJ-100LR on 16 routes totaling 54 daily flights, with all flights code-sharing with All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] under the branding ANA Connection. Their seventh CRJ-700NG will be delivered in June 2015 with their eight expected a year later, while the sole remaining CRJ-100LR will be retired in FY2015 with the two CRJ-200ERs to follow in FY2016.

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