Spring Airlines Japan granted approval to go international.

On December 16th, Spring Airlines Japan [IJ/SJO] announced that it had received approval from regulator Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) to launch international routes, paving way to commence Wuhan [WUH/ZHHH] and Chongqing [CKG/ZUCK] from their Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] hub on February 13th and 14th, respectively (Spring Airlines Japan files for Chongqing and Wuhan.).

Leased from GECAS, Boeing 737-86N(WL) JA02GR is one of only three aircraft in Spring Japan's tiny fleet. Initial plans to expand its fleet to 20 by 2017 have been delayed indefinitely. (Photo: Spring Airlines Japan)

Wuhan will start with a three-times-weekly service, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, while Chongqing will operate four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Both routes are timed to depart Narita in the morning for an afternoon arrival into the Chinese cities and an evening return to Japan. 189-seat Boeing 737-800s will be assigned. Tickets will go on sale at a later date not yet disclosed.

Flight Schedule:
Narita – Wuhan NEW 3 weekly with B737-800.
IJ1011 NRT 1020 – 1415 WUH 73H Mo/We/Sa *From Feb/13.
IJ1012 WUH 1515 – 1940 NRT 73H Mo/We/Sa *From Feb/13.

Narita – Chongqing NEW 4 weekly with B737-800.
IJ1021 NRT 0900 – 1415 CKG 73H Tu/Th/Fr/Su *From Feb/14.
IJ1022 CKG 1515 – 2025 NRT 73H Tu/Th/Fr/Su *From Feb/14.

Parent Spring Airlines [9C/CQH] already connects the two Chinese cities with Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB], while it also links Chongqing with Luoyang [LYA/ZHLY], Shanghai/Hongqiao [SHA/ZSSS], Shanghai/Pudong [PVG/ZSPD], Shenyang [SHE/ZYTX], Shenzhen [SZX/ZGSZ], and Shijiazhuang [SJW/ZBSJ]. It does not offer any domestic flights from Wuhan. Narita – Chongqing currently has Air China [CA/CCA] operating daily, while Narita – Wuhan sees a twice-weekly round-trip with China Southern Airlines [CZ/CSN] with All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] slated to enter with a daily service on April 28th, 2016.

Chairman Wang Wei had disclosed over a year ago that the two cities would be their first overseas destinations (Spring Japan considering Chongqing and Wuhan.). The Japanese affiliate of China's largest LCC only started flying in August 2014 with three routes from Narita (Spring Airlines Japan commences operations.). However, Takamatsu [TAK/RJOT] was suspended in October (Spring Airlines Japan to drop Takamatsu.), leaving the fledgling carrier with just twice-daily Hiroshima [HIJ/RJOA] and daily Saga [HSG/RJFS] round-trips. That said, Spring Japan is not envisioned to become a major domestic player, but a vehicle of the Spring Airlines Group to better access the China – Tokyo market as well as carry Chinese travelers visiting multiple cities in Japan.

Source: Spring Airlines Japan, 2015 December 16th. (in Japanese)

Japan Airlines JL123 crash remembered 30 years on.

August 12th marked the 30th year since Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] flight JL123, an ordinary domestic flight from Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] bound for Osaka/Itami [ITM/RJOO], crashed into Mount Osutaka in Ueno Village, Gunma. It claimed the lives of all but four of 509 passengers and 15 crew members aboard, making it the deadliest aviation accident in Japan and the deadliest single-airliner accident in history. Boeing 747SR-46 JA8119 was the aircraft involved.

JAL President Yoshiharu Ueki paid tribute at the crash site memorial, swearing safety would never be compromised again. Mr. Ueki has participated in the ceremony every year since taking office in 2012. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Last evening on August 11th, bereaved families and relatives floated lanterns on nearby Kanno River to honor those who perished and pray for aviation safety. On the following day today, hundreds of mourners hiked up the mountain to reach the crash site. Among them was Yoshiharu Ueki, JAL's current President. "I expressed my deepest condolence and apology to the 520 who died. I would like to apologize to the families and relatives for 30 years of suffering and sadness," said Mr. Ueki, adding "Lives come first. No compromise nor excuse is acceptable when it comes to safety. That is engrained in the hearts of the 32,000 employees at JAL."

A moment of silence was observed by participants at a ceremony that was held at the memorial facility near the foot of Mount Osutaka at 1856 JST, the exact time the ill-fated aircraft ended its short voyage. It was attended by 252 family members and relatives of the vitctims, as well as 104 officials from the local government, regulator Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), and JAL, including Mr. Ueki, Chairman Masaru Onishi, and Vice President Nobuhiro Sato.

The doomed 747 that departed Haneda at 1812 on August 12th, 1985 quickly ran into trouble when a loud bang was heard followed by decompression. JA8119 had been involved in a tailstrike incident at Itami seven years earlier as flight JL115, and faulty repair of the damaged rear pressure bulkhead was determined as the cause of it not withstanding pressurization on the 12,319th flight after the fix. When the bulkhead gave way, the resulting explosive decompression ruptured the lines of all four hydraulic systems and ejected the vertical stabilizer. With the aircraft's flight controls disabled, the 747 became uncontrollable. Desperate efforts by the crew to tame the plane were in vain, and the aircraft crashed into Mount Osutaka approximately 30 minutes later.

Source: Aviation Wire, August 12th. (in Japanese)

Fuji Dream Embraer E175 loses cabin pressure over Akita.

On July 7th, Fuji Dream Airlines [JH/FDA] flight JH212 from Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] bound for Matsumoto [MMJ/RJAF] made an emergency landing at Niigata [KIJ/RJSN] en route, due to a warning light indicated a problem with the bleed air system. Aircraft involved was Embraer ERJ170-200/STD (E175) JA06FJ Purple, carrying 67 passengers, three flight attendants, and two pilots.

Embraer ERJ170-200/STD (E175) JA06FJ Purple at Fukuoka. Fuji Dream Airlines' fleet is currently comprised of three 76-seat E170s and six 84-seat E175s. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

JH212 departed the gate at New Chitose on time at 1430 JST and took off at 1444. Around 1524 when the aircraft was cruising over Akita prefecture, a warning light indicating a malfunction with the bleed air system came on, followed by a loss of cabin pressure. Declaring emergency, oxygen masks were deployed, and the airplane descended to 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), before diverting to Niigata, where it performed a safe touchdown at 1547.

Nobody was injured, and there were no abnormal odors or noises on the aircraft, according to FDA. Regulator Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has designated the occurrence as a "major incident," which could have led to an accident. The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) is investigating the matter.

Source: Fuji Dream Airlines, July 8th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, July 8th. (in Japanese)

Skymark likely to accept ANA sponsorship.

Skymark Airlines [BC/SKY] is bankrupt (Skymark to file for bankruptcy.). But the biggest question does not change: who will come to save them? ANA Holdings, parent of Japan's largest carrier All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA], financial services group Orix, travel agency H.I.S., Shinsei Bank, and major trading firm Sojitz seem to be some of the high-profile names that have shown interest so far. At the center of the picture is the cash-strapped airline's 36 slot-pairs at Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT], the preferred but heavily-regulated downtown airport serving the capital.

ANA, JAL, and Skymark aircraft at Haneda. The flagship all-premium A330s were grounded only three days after announcing its bankruptcy filing. An ANA/Skymark tie-up is appearing likely, which is the last thing JAL wants to see. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Last spring, a few months before Skymark's Airbus A380 issue (Skymark's Airbus A380 order in jeopardy.) came into light, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) was already aware of the troubled airline's deteriorating financial health and had approached Delta Air Lines [DL/DAL] to assist. ANA and Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] furiously lobbied the government not to allow an airline holding Haneda's domestic slots to slip into foreign hands. 

When JAL filed for bankruptcy in 2010, JCAB succeeded in bringing Delta to the table to discuss a plan to save JAL together with Japanese investment firms. JAL eventually chose government bailout and remained aligned with Oneworld partner American Airlines [AA/AAL]. However, this time with Skymark, the Skyteam carrier concluded to keep its hands off, probably considering the embattled carrier's growing debt and Airbus A380 problem (Skymark hopes to settle Airbus A380 penalty in October.), along with the uncertainty of their 36 slot-pairs at Haneda, which would need to be relinquished if ownership change exceeds 20%.

Boeing 757-2Q8(WL) N624AG taxies at New York's JFK Airport. Although Delta fought fiercely to lure then-bankrupt JAL, it has apparently decided to keep its hands off of Skymark. With ANA/United and JAL/American joint-ventures now well established, Delta is at a disadvantage in the Japan market. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Meanwhile, knowing that accepting financial aid from ANA would "deny Skymark's meaning of existence as Japan's third force," former President and CEO Shinichi Nishikubo had looked overseas for investors from early 2014. Reportedly, Mr. Nishikubo talked with the AirAsia Group the most. Actually, AirAsia Japan (Mk I) [JW/WAJ] (CoachFlyer JW8541: NRT - FUK on AirAsia Japan's Airbus A320.), the failed joint-venture between the Malaysia-based pan-Asian LCC group and ANA, was originally planned to have Skymark as its partner, until ANA came in fearing the potential of the combination.

Although group CEO Tony Fernandes denied rumors then (Is AirAsia considering a Skymark takeover?), a three-way deal was discussed where Airbus would significantly reduce the A380 cancellation penalty if AirAsia [AK/AXM] took over Skymark. "We seriously thought we could hand over management to Tony," current Representative Chairman Takashi Ide revealed. But Skymark was in the middle of transforming themselves into a low-fare premium airline (Skymark Airlines inaugurates Airbus A330 service.), and after JCAB officially quoted that ownership change exceeding 20% would necessitate giving all Haneda slots back to the regulator (Skymark's fate: MLIT discourages foreign investment.), talks ended in November.

Airbus A320-216 HS-ABB of Thai AirAsia taxies at Khon Kaen. Asia's largest LCC group has discussed a potential tie-up with Skymark several times to gain access to the preferred but heavily-regulated airport in Japan's by far most important market. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

However, discussions with Mr. Fernandes quietly resumed again in early January, this time with Singaporean and different Japanese investment funds. The deal included reconfiguring Skymark's A330s (Skymark Airbus A330 operates last revenue flight.) in a high-density layout and placing them on international routes, hinting an AirAsia X Japan. But the plan was reportedly shelved before February after one of the investment funds withdrew. At the same time, Mr. Nishikubo also approached Spring Airlines [9C/CQH] and its Japanese affiliate Spring Airlines Japan [IJ/SJO] for help. Response from the Chinese LCC group was positive, however, they needed to carry out due diligence, and Skymark ran out of time.

According to an interview on February 16th, Mr. Ide revealed that the proposed three-way code-share with ANA and JAL would likely be scrapped (Skymark seeks investor airline; scraps ANA & JAL dual tie-up.). The planned partnership was aimed at filling seats of Skymark's Airbus A330s, but those aircraft have now been grounded. Probably shocking for former chief Mr. Nishikubo, Mr. Ide said he now prefers sponsorship from a Japanese major airline rather than an overseas airline, adding "Our brand was stuck in the middle (of full-service carriers and LCCs). There are lots of things we can learn from the major carriers, for example in service quality." He said if a Japanese major carrier offered financial assistance, Skymark would accept it.

Airbus A320-214 B-6706 of Spring Airlines at Ibaraki. China's first and largest LCC group, which already flies 13 routes to Japan covering six destinations, also showed interest in aiding Skymark. Its Japanese unit currently operates domestic routes, with Chinese destinations to be launched later this year, with an all-Boeing 737 fleet. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

After the bankruptcy filing, a JAL spokesperson said "We have never considered an investment in Skymark, and have no plans to." Also, the controversial 8.10 Paper prohibits JAL, itself saved from bankruptcy by a government bailout in 2010, from making any new investments until FY2017. Meanwhile, on February 13th, ANA Holdings' outgoing President Shinichiro Ito publicly said "We have been very interested in Skymark. We are evaluating how Japan's air industry should be shaped, and how we could do that." Shinya Katanozaka, incoming President effective April 1st, added "Air Do, Skynet Asia, Star Flyer all have important roles to play under the ANA umbrella. I could see Skymark's role there too as a community-focused airline. We don't really see a need for a third force."

Delta and JAL are out, and AirAsia and Spring may be considering. But ANA is surely creeping towards putting Skymark's lucrative 36 Haneda slot-pairs into their hands, with a roadmap reportedly already in place since last year to transform it into a feeder carrier for ANA, replicating what it did with AIRDO [HD/ADO] (d.b.a. Air Do), Skynet Asia Airways [6J/SNJ] (d.b.a. Solaseed Air), and Star Flyer [7G/SFJ]. And Skymark is likely to accept that offer, now that charismatic Mr. Nishikubo is no longer at helm (Running out of time: Will Skymark join ANA?). For sponsorship contenders, deadline for application by non-airline firms is February 19th, while for airlines is 23rd, according to Skymark's financial advisor GCA Savvian.

JAL controls 40.0% of domestic slot-pairs (184.5) at Haneda with ANA holding 37.4% (172.5), however, the latter virtually controls 52.2% when combining those of Air Do, Solaseed Air, and Star Flyer, in which ANA owns minority stakes and implements extensive code-sharing and schedule coordinating. Placing Skymark, which controls 7.8% (36), under the umbrella of Japan's largest airline would virtually have ANA dominate 60.0% of slots at Haneda, which is the last thing JAL wants to see. And needless to say, a return to the ANA/JAL duopoly era would be detrimental to the flying public. 

Source: Aviation Wire, February 2nd. (in Japanese)
Source: Nikkei Shimbun, February 13th. (in Japanese)
Source: Mainichi Shimbun, February 13th. (in Japanese)
Source: Nikkei Shimbun, February 14th. (in Japanese)
Source: Mainichi Shimbun, February 16th. (in Japanese) 
Source: Sankei Shimbun, February 17th. (in Japanese) 
Source: Nikkei Shimbun, February 20th. (in Japanese) 
Source: Toyo Keizai, February 20th. (in Japanese)

*Edited/updated on February 20th.

Skymark in talks with JAL for broad tie-up.

Skymark Airlines [BC/SKY] has entered into partnership talks with Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] to help save the troubled third largest domestic carrier, according to a Nikkei report. Both sides confirmed the news, though adding nothing has been finalized yet. Under the plan, effective as early as February 2015, JAL would place its code on most, if not all of Skymark's 36 round-trips from Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] to Fukuoka [FUK/RJFF], Kagoshima [KOJ/RJFK], Kobe [UKB/RJBE], Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH], and Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] and sell roughly 20% of their seats, generating an estimated annual 8 billion JPY for the cash-strapped airline.

Boeing 737-86N(WL) JA73NX arrives into Narita in the final days at the airport. Skymark closed all operations at Narita on October 25th (Skymark announces Narita closure and Yonago cuts.) in a bid to cut unprofitable routes and concentrate on Haneda. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

However, JAL would not acquire any stakes in Skymark (at least for now), which would allow them to retain a certain degree of independence. "We take great pride that we have been independent without the help of any major carriers, which has enabled us to change the industry significantly," is a phrase that could often be heard from Shinichi Nishikubo, Skymark's President and CEO. But for JAL too, this is a clever compromise.

Firstly, any new investment by JAL would come under heavy scrutiny of the government, according to the notorious (at least to JAL) document issued by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) on August 10th, 2012 (the 8-10 Paper), which is effective through FY2016. The government's favor of All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] over JAL is partly due to the current Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-controlled regime wanting to portrait the then-Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)-led government's massive bailout of JAL from their 2010 bankruptcy, one of the nation's most spectacular corporate failures, a misuse of taxpayer's money. Secondly, JAL wouldn't want to take the risk of investing in a company that could bring on a hefty debt; Airbus is seeking up to 700 million USD in penalties for Skymark's termination of the A380 order (Skymark's Airbus A380 order in jeopardy.).

And lastly, JAL does not want to see ANA increasing the share of Haneda slots any more. Slot-count-wise, JAL controls 40.0% at 184.5 slot-pairs and All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] 37.4% at 172.5 slot-pairs, while Skymark holds 7.8% with 36 slot-pairs. However, if the slots of AIRDO [HD/ADO] (d.b.a. Air Do), Skynet Asia Airways [6J/SNJ] (d.b.a. Solaseed Air), and Star Flyer [7G/SFJ], all of which code-share with ANA throughout their networks and are de facto controlled by Japan's largest carrier (New Star Flyer President is from ANA.), are combined, ANA's share rises to 52.2%. Skymark teaming up with ANA, an idea which the current government favors, would have Japan's largest airline control 60% and JAL 40%. If the JAL/Skymark partnership goes through, JAL could increase the share to 47.8%, which would maintain close competition.

A flock of JAL's Boeings at Haneda. How much competition will remain after the JAL/Skymark partnership? Are we be going back to the ANA/JAL duopoly era? (Photo: Aviation Wire)

After the report, Skymark's stocks soared 50 JPY, over 25%, to 245 JPY on November 21st. But reportedly, the JCAB is already reluctant to approve the cooperation. Although no transaction of cash would be involved, it seems that the regulator sees the partnership as a bailed-out airline still under government supervision virtually aiding another Haneda-based carrier to strengthen its competitiveness. If there's an ownership change exceeding 20% of an airline that controls slots at Haneda, those would need to be relinquished and JCAB would redistribute them. Even just starting a code-share at the heavily-regulated airport requires various approvals. Mr. Nishikubo said "We don't see a reason for them (JCAB) to say no."

Skymark is predicting its worst ever financial record for FY2014 (Skymark braces for 13.7 billion JPY loss in FY2014.), reversing a previous forecast for a 354 million JPY net profit. Total assets stood at 77.5 billion JPY, down 1.3 billion JPY from March this year, while capital-to-asset ration decreased from 56.2% in FY2013 to 49.7%. Cash reserves dwindled to 4.5 billion JPY, down 2.5 billion JPY from just six months ago. They have cited increased costs due to the introduction of the Airbus A330s (Skymark Airlines inaugurates Airbus A330 service.) and now-canceled A380s, continued depreciation of the JPY, fuel costs remaining high, and intensified competition with the LCCs as the primary reasons. Skymark has found itself caught in between the majors and LCCs.

Termination of the A380 order in July and the European planemaker's subsequent seeking for up to 700 million USD in penalties only made their outlook worse. "We are still negotiating to reduce that figure. But we hope to reach an agreement as early as possible," said Mr. Nishikubo (Skymark hopes to settle Airbus A380 penalty in October.). Talks regarding an investment by Malaysia-based AirAsia Group (Is AirAsia considering a Skymark takeover?) had collapsed by the end of summer. With JCAB keeping a close eye and the current government favoring ANA, the JAL partnership probably would not go through easily. But Skymark is fast running out of cash and needs new sources of revenue as quickly as possible. In any case, Skymark may need to forfeit a lot of their independence as Japan's third force.

Reference: Nikkei Shimbun, November 21st. (in Japanese)
Reference: Nikkei Shimbun, November 21st. (in Japanese)
Reference: Aviation Wire, November 21st. (in Japanese) 

*Edited/updated on November 23rd, 2014.

Star Flyer launches Yamaguchi-Ube.

On October 26th, the beginning of the Winter 2014/2015 timetable, Star Flyer (7G/SFJ) launched three-times daily service to Yamaguchi-Ube (UBJ/RJDC) from Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) (Star Flyer to add Yamaguchi-Ube; but reduce Fukuoka.). 150-seat Airbus A320-200s operate the route, and all flights code-share with All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA), subsidiary of ANA Holdings, which owns 18% of the Kitakyushu (KKJ/RJFR)-based carrier.

Airbus A320-214(SL) JA21MC City of Kitakyushu taxies at Haneda. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The inaugural flight, 7G011, operated by A320-214(SL) JA21MC, arrived at Yamaguchi-Ube at 0905 JST with a load of 128 passengers. It was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute upon arrival. The first return leg, flight 7G012, departed at 0947 carrying 148 passengers.

Flight Schedule (Oct/26/2014 - Mar/28/2015):
Haneda – Yamaguchi-Ube NEW 3 daily with A320-200.
7G011 HND 0720 – 0905 UBJ 32A/320 Daily
7G013 HND 1245 – 1430 UBJ 32A/320 Daily
7G015 HND 1750 – 19:35 UBJ 32A/320 Daily
7G012 UBJ 0945 – 1115 HND 32A/320 Daily
7G014 UBJ 1515 – 1645 HND 32A/320 Daily
7G016 UBJ 2010 – 2140 HND 32A/320 Daily

Star Flyer cut three of its 10 Haneda – Fukuoka (FUK/RJFF) round-trips to free up three slot-pairs at the heavily-regulated Tokyo airport for the new service. Along with the launch, they moved all but its flights to Kitakyushu to Haneda's Terminal 2 (used by ANA Group and partners). Meanwhile, ANA axed two of its five Haneda – Yamaguchi-Ube round-trips and put its code on all three of Star Flyer's new flights. So virtually, the launch is more of a transfer of another unprofitable route from ANA to the de facto subsidiary (New Star Flyer President is from ANA.), which has lower costs (but still far from low cost).

Between March 2012 and January 2013, ANA deployed Boeing 787s on the route in a bid to compete against JAL's four daily 737-800 round-trips. However, currently all flights are operated by 270-seat 767-300s and load factor for FY2013 was 53.2%, well below the company average of 61.6%. Meanwhile, Star Flyer was bleeding cash after dumping all of its five new Haneda slot-pairs that were awarded in March 2013 into the Fukuoka market, a high-demand link but also one of the most highly-contested. Passenger numbers went up but sparked a fare-war which hurt the all-important yield. ANA had wanted to reduce flying Haneda – Yamaguchi-Ube without receiving bad publicity, and Star Flyer's restructuring was seen as a perfect vehicle. 

Unfortunately, Star Flyer has joined the likes of AIRDO (HD/ADO) (d.b.a. Air Do) and Skynet Asia Airways (6J/SNJ) (d.b.a. Solaseed Air) in becoming merely a lower-cost feeder carrier for ANA, at least in terms of route network. Why will ANA not simply take over these carriers? All Haneda slots are controlled and allocated by Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), and the unspoken rule is, if more than 20% of an airline that holds Haneda slots comes under control of another carrier, those slots must be relinquished for redistribution.

Reference: Aviation Wire, October 26th. (in Japanese)

ANA to expand Narita international ops in FY2015.

All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) will expand its international network at Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) in FY2015, according to Osamu Shinobe, President of ANA speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on October 8th. Although he refrained from giving details, ANA is considering adding five new round-trips that would "strengthen Narita as a major connecting hub between Asia and North America." The five would include new cities as well as frequency increases.

Boeing 767-381/ER(WL) JA624A arrives into Narita. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

On March 30th this year, ANA's international presence at Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT), the preferred downtown airport serving the capital, jumped from 13 round-trips covering 10 routes to 23 round-trips covering 17 destinations (ANA's Summer 2014 international expansion.). Now that Haneda has grown to about 60 - 70% the size of ANA's Narita operations, the focus is back on Narita, which will gradually increase slots, while Haneda will not see any more slots available in the near term.

"We will continue to pursue our Haneda/Narita dual-hub strategy. Narita is an important international hub and we will continue to grow there," added Shinichiro Ito, President and CEO of ANA Holdings, parent of ANA. The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) enforces an unspoken rule that all carriers flying international routes out of Haneda must fly to that country from Narita as well. Asked about what is commonly referred to as the 'Narita rule', Mr. Ito told "It would be best for airlines to have freedom, but international routes are agreements between two nations and we must respect that."

New overseas partnerships are on the horizon, with Mr. Shinobe revealing "We are considering a partnership with Avianca." ANA will also not hesitate to look outside of Star Alliance, with a new pact reached with Philippine Airlines (PR/PAL) on October 1st and the signing of deeper relations with Brazil's TAM (JJ/TAM), now a Oneworld member, on October 7th. A proposed 3 billion JPY investment in Myanmar's Asian Wings Airways (YJ/AWM) has been shelved after the market became overcrowded, but Mr. Ito said "We will continue to look for investments where there are potential synergies. A few are already on the table for evaluation," without disclosing any. Vietnam Airlines (VN/HVN) is thought to be one of them.

Meanwhile, ANA's first experiment with a red-eye domestic flight this summer on the Haneda – Okinawa/Naha (OKA/ROAH) route (ANA offers red-eye Haneda - Okinawa 'Galaxy Flight'.) saw an average load factor of 82%, and the carrier is considering making it a regularly scheduled flight. 16,000 passengers were carried between July 18th and August 31st on the round-trip flight which is usually a cargo flight that is operated by a passenger aircraft using only its belly space.

Asked whether Japan's raising of sales tax by 3% to 8% from April this year is having an effect, Mr. Ito responded "I'm aware that overall people's spendings have decreased, but for travel, that has not been the case."

Reference: Reuters Japan, October 8th. (in Japanese) 
Reference: Aviation Wire, October 9th. (in Japanese)

JAL Boeing 767 encounters turbulence near Seoul.

On September 12th around 1730 KST (no time difference with JST), Japan Airlines' (JL/JAL) flight JL093, service from Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) to Seoul/Gimpo (GMP/RKSS), encountered sudden rough air as it was descending to its destination. Although no injuries were reported among the passengers, seven flight attendants sustained minor injuries.

Sistership Boeing 767-346/ER JA613J awaits its next assignment at Haneda. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The aircraft involved was Boeing 767-346/ER JA654J, which had departed Haneda at 1535 JST with a load of 218 passengers, including three children, 10 flight attendants, and two pilots. As the 767 was descending to Gimpo, at 4,900 meters (16,000 feet) it experienced what was likely caused by wake turbulence approximately 25 minutes prior to landing, about 95 kilometers southeast of Seoul's airport near downtown. The aircraft landed safely at 1759, four minutes behind schedule.

Of the seven injured cabin crew, one was diagnosed of neck and back sprain which required two weeks of rest and treatment. The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) designates any event that results in injuries requiring treatment for over 48 hours an aviation accident, so this case fell under that category. However, South Korea, which has the authority to investigate the matter as it happened in Korean airspace, is not considering this an accident. 

Reference: Aviation Wire, September 17th. (in Japanese)

Spring Airlines Japan delays launch to August 1st.

On June 6th, Spring Airlines Japan (IJ/SJO) announced that they will postpone their launch to August 1st due to preparations taking more time than expected. Japan's newest LCC originally planned to commence services from Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) to Hiroshima (HIJ/RJOA), Saga (HSG/RJFS), and Takamatsu (TAK/RJOT) on June 27th (Spring Airlines Japan to launch services on June 27th.) using brand-new Boeing 737-800s.

Boeing 737-86N(WL) JA02GR made a stop at Honolulu on delivery to Japan in December 2013. (Photo: HNL RareBirds)

According to Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), a division of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) which regulates and oversees civil aviation in the country, there were various procedures which had to be revised when proving flights took place in late April. Although Spring Airlines Japan had been making efforts to meet the planned launch date, it was decided that more time would be needed.

Additionally, one of two planned round-trips between Narita and Takamatsu will not be started until October 26th, the beginning of the Winter 2014/2015 timetable. Affected flights are IJ611/612, and the company has cited pilot training taking more time as the main reason, though they emphasized that they had enough numbers. Shortages of pilots have caused massive travel disruptions at competitors Peach Aviation (MM/APJ) (Peach outlines Summer 2014 mass cancellations.) and Vanilla Air (JW/VNL) (Vanilla Air cancels 154 flights in June due to pilot shortage.).

Flight schedule (August 1st – October 25th):
Narita – Hiroshima new 2 daily with 73H.
IJ621 NRT 0655 – 0835 HIJ 73H Daily
IJ623 NRT 1625 – 1805 HIJ 73H Daily
IJ622 HIJ 0920 – 1050 NRT 73H Daily
IJ624 HIJ 1850 – 2020 NRT 73H Daily

Narita - Saga new 2 daily with 73H.
IJ601 NRT 1055 – 1255 HSG 73H Daily
IJ603 NRT 1655 – 1855 HSG 73H Daily
IJ602 HSG 1340 – 1525 NRT 73H Daily
IJ604 HSG 1940 – 2125 NRT 73H Daily

Narita - Takamatsu new 2 daily to be reduced to 1 daily with 73H.
IJ611 NRT 0630 – 0755 TAK 73H Daily *Canceled through Oct/25.
IJ613 NRT 1150 – 1315 TAK 73H Daily
IJ612 TAK 0840 – 0955 NRT 73H Daily *Canceled through Oct/25.
IJ614 TAK 1410 – 1525 NRT 73H Daily

Due to the delay, a total of 592 flights are being canceled, affecting 5,009 seats sold on Spring Airlines Japan's website as well as another 5,000 sold through travel agencies. Passengers who have tickets for travel between June 27th and July 31st have the choice of re-booking to another flight on the same route for travel after August 1st, or a full refund including the processing fee.

Spring Airlines Japan is the Japanese affiliate of Shanghai/Pudong (PVG/ZSPD)-based Spring Airlines (9C/CQH), which controls 33%, the maximum possible figure under Japan's foreign ownership rules. Last year, Hiroshi Ukai, former Safety Inspector General at JCAB, was selected as Representative Director to head Spring Airlines Japan in part to speed up the application process, taking advantage of his regulatory expertise to cover for the lack of rapport with the regulator All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) and Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) enjoy.

Source: Spring Airlines Japan, June 6th. (PDF; in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, June 6th. (in Japanese)

Vanilla Air delayed 2.5 hours due to nose wheel malfunction.

On the night of May 3rd, Vanilla Air (JW/VNL) flight JW806, service from Okinawa/Naha (OKA/ROAH) to Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA), was delayed two hours and a half due to nose wheel steering problems with the Airbus A320 assigned for the flight.

The airframe involved was A320-211 JA8385, originally delivered to All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) back on April 16th, 1991, and leased to the Narita-based LCC at the end of February by parent ANA Holdings. Carrying a load of 159 passengers (including three children), four flight attendants, and two cockpit crew, JW806 departed from the gate at Naha at 1904, local time. However, as it was taxiing to the runway, the nose wheel locked in the straight position and became unsteerable. After it was towed back to the terminal for maintenance and fix-up, the aircraft re-departed at 2004, an hour and 24 minutes behind its scheduled departure of 1840, and took off at 2125.

However, when the aircraft was approaching Narita, indicators displayed problems with its nose wheel again. The crew informed passengers about the technical issue and told everyone to brace for possible impact upon landing. Fortunately, JA8385 made a flawless landing on Runway 16L/34R (Runway B) at 2345 with no injuries, however, as its nose wheel could not be steered, the aircraft had to be towed to the terminal, where it arrived past midnight, over two hours and 30 minutes behind its published timetable. With all public transportation finished by this time, stranded passengers spent the night inside the terminal. Vanilla Air did not compensate for the delay in any way, following its policy. After a night's maintenance, the A320 returned to service the following morning.

This is not good publicity for the fledgling LCC, as it was also forced to cancel dozens of flights from the end of January (Vanilla Air Airbus A320 grounding forces cancellations.) due to the grounding of one of its A320s. Vanilla Air reported the problem to Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), however, no investigations by the government regulator have been carried out as of now. The A320 has had its fair share of nose wheel steering issues, including when JetBlue Airways (B6/JBU) flight B6292 made an emergency landing at Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX) on September 21st, 2005 after the nose gear jammed in an abnormal position. 

Source: Aviation Wire, May 4th. (in Japanese)

Jetstar Japan to launch Kansai hub from June.

Jetstar Japan (GK/JJP) intends to launch its long-awaited Osaka/Kansai (KIX/RJBB) hub from June, according to a plan submitted to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) earlier this month. The Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA)-based LCC initially plans to base three Airbus A320s along with 80 pilots, cabin attendants, and maintenance crews at the airport which also serves as a hub for rival LCC Peach Aviation (MM/APJ).

Airbus A320-232(SL) JA08JJ taxies at Oita. (Photo: Jetstar Japan)

Summer 2014 schedule adjustments were announced on April 21st, operating up to 94 daily flights from that month, on condition that the hub launch is approved. A previously-released timetable (Jetstar Japan releases Summer 2014 schedule.) listed up to 76 daily flights. Frequencies will be increased from Kansai to Fukuoka (FUK/RJFF) and Okinawa/Naha (OKA/ROAH), as well as from Narita to Fukuoka, Naha, Kansai, and Takamatsu (TAK/RJOT).

Frequency increases:
Kansai – Fukuoka from 1 to up to 2 with 32A/320. *From Jun/6.
Kansai – Naha from 1 to up to 3 with 32A/320. *From Jun/3.
Narita – Fukuoka from 5 to up to 7 with 32A/320. *From Jun/3.
Narita – Naha from 3 to up to 5 with 32A/320. *From Jun/6.
Narita – Kansai from 4 to up to 6 with 32A/320. *From Jun/1.
Narita – Takamatsu from 2 to up to 3 with 32A/320. *From Jul/18.

I have omitted posting Jetstar Japan's timetable since their flight numbers, departure/arrival times, and frequencies vary depending on the period and day. Please refer to their Summer 2014 Timetable for details.

After posting hefty losses and delaying its Kansai hub launch five times due to the shortage of maintenance crews, Jetstar Japan has been capping its fleet at 18 A320s, of which at least four currently sit on the ground at any given time. Regional international flights are being talked about for launch from later this year, after the Kansai hub is up and running. The Japanese affiliate of Australia's Jetstar Airways (JQ/JST) is owned 33.3% by Qantas Airways (QF/QFA), 33.3% by Japan Airlines (JL/JAL), 16.7% by Mitsubishi, and 16.7% by Century Tokyo Leasing.

Source: Jetstar Japan, April 21st. (PDF; in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, April 22nd. (in Japanese) 

*Post edited/updated on April 22nd.

Haneda's expanded International Terminal.

Tokyo International Airport (HND/RJTT), more commonly called Haneda Airport, opened its expanded International Terminal including a new satellite concourse on March 30th, coinciding with the allocating of 40 additional daily slots for international flights.

The newly-opened satellite concourse at Haneda's International Terminal. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Total floor space grew from 159,000 square meters to 236,000 square meters, increasing the number of jet-bridge-equipped gates by eight to 18. Of the eight, six are equipped with gate lounges. Additionally, there are 15 remote parking spots. The departures hall in the main building has also been expanded with the addition of two check-in islands (48 positions), bringing the total to six islands (144 positions). 12 new shops and restaurants will be opened, totaling 123, while in late September, Royal Park Hotel will open a 313-room facility including 17 exclusively for transit passengers beyond passport control.

A computer-generated image of Haneda's expanded International Terminal. Towards left is the eight-gate satellite concourse. (Image: Tokyo International Airport Terminal)

Of the 40 slots, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has allocated 31; Canada – 2 (Japanese airlines 1), China – 4 (2), France – 4 (2), Germany – 4 (2), Indonesia – 2 (1), Philippines – 2 (1), Singapore – 4 (2), Thailand – 3 (2), U.K. – 4 (2), and Vietnam – 2 (1). The remaining nine are for U.S. flights, however, the authorities of each country have been unable to reach an agreement as to which side gets how many. The four Chinese slots remain unused as of now due to rights issues on the China side. Of the 31 slots, 16 were handed out to Japanese airlines, of which 11 went to All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) and only five went to Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) after a bitterly fought political tug-of-war.

International destinations (non-stop):
Bangkok/Suvarnabhumi (BKK/VTBS) – ANA, JAL, Thai Airways International (TG/THA)
Beijing/Capital (PEK/ZBAA) – Air China (CA/CCA), ANA, JAL
Denpasar/Ngurah Rai (DPS/WADD) – Garuda Indonesia (GA/GIA) 
Doha/International (DOH/OTBD) – Qatar Airways (QR/QTR) *From June 19th.
Dubai/International (DXB/OMDB) – Emirates (EK/UAE)
Frankfurt/Main (FRA/EDDF) – ANA, Lufthansa (LH/DLH)
Hanoi/Noi Bai (HAN/VVNB) – ANA, Vietnam Airlines (VN/HVN) *From July 1st. 
Ho Chi Minh City/Tan Son Nhat (SGN/VVTS) – JAL
Hong Kong (HKG/VHHH) – ANA, Cathay Pacific (CX/CPA), Hong Kong Express (UO/HKE), JAL
Honolulu (HNL/PHNL) – ANA *operated by Air Japan (NQ/AJX), Hawaiian Airlines (HA/HAL), JAL
Jakarta/Soekarno-Hatta (CGK/WIII) – ANA, Garuda Indonesia *From Jun/16.
Kuala Lumpur/International (KUL/WMKK) – AirAsia X (D7/XAX)
London/Heathrow (LHR/EGLL) – ANA, British Airways (BA/BAW), JAL
Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX) – ANA, Delta Air Lines (DL/DAL)
Manila/Ninoy Aquino (MNL/RPLL) – ANA, Philippine Airlines (PR/PAL)
Munich (MUC/EDDM) – ANA, Lufthansa  
Paris/Charles de Gaulle (CDG/LFPG) – Air France (AF/AFR), ANA, JAL
San Francisco (SFO/KSFO) – JAL, United Airlines (UA/UAL) *From Oct/28.
Seattle-Tacoma (SEA/KSEA) – Delta Air Lines
Seoul/Gimpo (GMP/RKSS) – ANA, Asiana Airlines (OZ/AAR), JAL, Korean Air (KE/KAL)
Seoul/Incheon (ICN/RKSI) – Asiana Airlines, Korean Air 
Shanghai/Hongqiao (SHA/ZSSS) – ANA, China Eastern (MU/CES), JAL, Shanghai Airlines (FM/CSH)
Singapore/Changi (SIN/WSSS) – ANA, JAL, Singapore Airlines (SQ/SIA)
Taipei/Songshan (TSA/RCSS) – ANA, China Airlines (CI/CAL), EVA Air (BR/EVA), JAL   
Toronto/Pearson (YYZ/CYYZ) – Air Canada (AC/ACA) *From Jul/1.
Vancouver (YVR/CYVR) – ANA

As one can see, Haneda is growing into a truly international/domestic global hub. However, with scarce slots and no plans to increase in the mid-term, Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) will continue to be the capital's biggest international gateway for many more years to come.

Source: Aviation Wire, March 13th. (in Japanese)

*Post edited/updated on May 10th.

ANA Boeing 767 makes emergency landing at Akita.

On February 20th, All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) flight NH874, service from Akita (AXT/RJSK) to Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT), reported white smoke in the cabin just a few minutes after takeoff around 0950 local time. Declaring emergency, the aircraft with 163 passengers and crew returned to the departure airport and made a safe landing 20 minutes later.

The aircraft involved was Boeing 767-381 JA8569, a domestic-configured B767 delivered to ANA on December 1st, 1993. According to passengers, white smoke came into the cabin through the vents soon after takeoff and "smelled like something was burning". Inspections on site revealed there was an oil leak in the number two engine. ANA and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) are investigating the matter.

Source: Asahi Shimbun, February 20th. (in Japanese)

Government to reduce landing fees at rural airports.

The Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Tourism (MLIT) is planning to reduce landing fees at 27 government-managed airports for new flights or frequency increases, starting from fiscal year 2014, in a bid to help airports in rural areas attract and sustain air links.

To apply for the incentive, the airline and the local governments near the airport must jointly submit a long-term plan for the route they wish to start or add a frequency to. A MLIT committee will then evaluate the application, and if approved, the carrier will be entitled to a 80% discount on landing fees for the first year of operations, 50% for the second year, and 30% for the third. The MLIT will cover for the airport's reduced income. Both domestic and international flights will be considered. For example, an airport like Sendai (SDJ/RJSS) currently charges about 55,000 JPY for a Boeing 737 landing, but under the new scheme, a new route or frequency would save the airline 34 million JPY in three years.

Slot-restricted Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) will not be part of the incentive for obvious reasons, as well as present flights already being operated. In FY2014, the MLIT will come up with additional measures to help rural airports; 300 million JPY has been allocated to support rural airports' projects to lure more tourists and promote air travel.

Source: Nikkei Shimbun (in Japanese)

Grounded JAL Boeing 787 returns to service.

Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) returned Boeing 787-8 JA834J to service early morning on January 28th with flight JL2, which took off from Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) at 0022 local time. It arrived eight hours and a half later at San Francisco (SFO/KSFO) without any abnormalities. The aircraft was grounded on January 14th after a battery problem was discovered during a check-up at Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA), while it was being prepared for a flight to Bangkok/Suvarnabhumi (BKK/VTBS) as flight JL707. (Battery problem grounds a JAL Boeing 787.)

The damaged battery had a venting valve for one of the eight cells activated and liquid had leaked inside. It has now been replaced by a new one, and after finding no problems testing with the new battery, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) gave permission to return the aircraft to service. The damaged battery is still under investigation and JCAB officials have quoted "it's not something we will know today or tomorrow", suggesting it is likely to take a much longer time.

Source: Aviation Wire (in Japanese)

JCAB grants Airbus A330 Certificate of Airworthiness.

On January 22nd, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) issued a Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) for the Airbus A330-300. The European plane-maker applied for the certificate on August 24th last year.

Skymark's Airbus A330-343E JA330A at Toulouse. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Due to delays in securing the type's license, delivery of Skymark Airlines' (BC/SKY) first A330-343, registered JA330A, will be postponed to late February. The 271-seat all-premium jet was planned to enter service at the end of March on the Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) - Fukuoka (FUK/RJFF) route, however, with this delay, service entry may be put off to April. Skymark is expecting a two-month training period.

Source: Aviation Wire (in Japanese)