ANA takes over Air Do's unprofitable secondary routes.

AIRDO [HD/ADO] (d.b.a. Air Do) will be withdrawing from four regional domestic routes from Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] effective March 29th, the beginning of the Summer 2015 timetable, and partner All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] will fill in. From the capital of Hokkaido, Air Do currently operates twice daily to Fukushima [FKS/RJSF] and Niigata [KIJ/RJSN], and a daily round-trip each to Komatsu [KMQ/RJNK] and Toyama [TOY/RJNT], but all will be reduced to a single ANA round-trip on each route.

Boeing 767-33A/ER JA01HD started life with Belgian start-up CityBird in February 1998 before joining Air Do in April 2000. Unlike the 737-500s, which will be retired by January 2016, all four 767s will be repainted into their latest livery by June this year. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

New Chitose – Fukushima will be flown by 176-seat (all economy) Boeing 737-800s, Komatsu and Toyama routes by 166/167-seat (8 Premium Class and 158/159 economy) 737-800s, and the Niigata link by 74-seat Bombardier DHC-8-400Qs of ANA Holdings' commuter subsidiary ANA Wings [EH/AKX].

Flight Schedule: 
New Chitose – Fukushima NEW 1 daily with 737-800. (Mar/29 - Oct/24)
NH1114 CTS 1645 – 1800 FKS 73H Daily
NH1113 FKS 0950 – 1110 CTS 73H Daily

New Chitose – Komatsu NEW 1 daily with 737-800. (Mar/29 - Oct/24)
NH1174 CTS 1355 – 1530 KMQ 73H Daily
NH1173 KMQ 1140 – 1310 CTS 73H Daily 

New Chitose – Niigata up to 2 daily with DHC-8-400Q. (Mar/29 - Oct/24)
NH1858/EH1858 CTS 1230 – 1350 KIJ DH4 Daily *Existing service. ANA Wings.
NH1860/EH1860 CTS 1600 – 1710 KIJ DH4 Daily *Jun/1 - Sep/30. ANA Wings.
NH1857/EH1857 KIJ 0740 – 0900 CTS DH4 Daily *Existing service. ANA Wings.
NH1859/EH1859 KIJ 1120 – 1235 CTS DH4 Daily *Jun/1 - Sep/30. ANA Wings.

New Chitose – Toyama NEW 1 daily with 737-800. (Mar/29 - Oct/24)
NH1182 CTS 1340 – 1510 TOY 73H Daily
NH1181 TOY 1140 – 1305 CTS 73H Daily

ANA withdrew from the Fukushima, Komatsu, and Toyama routes in November 2009, virtually transferring them to lower-cost Air Do, which is 14% owned by ANA Holdings, parent of Japan's largest carrier. Instead ANA put its code on these three routes, like with all other Air Do flights. However, due to weak demand, they are ironically being transferred back to ANA. For the New Chitose – Niigata route, ANA Wings has operated a single round-trip alongside Air Do's double-daily flights, but with no aircraft up-gauge after Air Do's suspension, it translates to a 77% capacity cut. A seasonal second flight has been loaded between June 1st and September 30th.

Boeing 737-881(WL) JA65AN taxies for departure from New Chitose Airport near Sapporo. ANA Group's Boeing narrow-body fleet is comprised of 30 737-800s, two 737-700ERs, 12 737-700s, and 17 737-500s, with six more 737-800s on order. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Meanwhile, the only increase by Air Do for the Summer 2015 timetable is an addition of two more round-trips on the New Chitose – Sendai [SDJ/RJSS] route; hence the fleet is being reduced by one aircraft, with the return of a 126-seat 737-500 to ANA in April. Their seventh 144-seat 737-700 will arrive from ANA in September, and the two remaining 737-500s will be retired by January 2016.

Air Do's axing of these secondary routes leaves the Hokkaido-based carrier with only Kobe [UKB/RJBE], Okayama [OKJ/RJOB], Sendai, and Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] from New Chitose. On the other hand, they seem to be faring better with their secondary Hokkaido routes from Haneda to Asahikawa [AKJ/RJEC], Hakodate [HKD/RJCH], Kushiro [KUH/RJCK], Memambetsu [MMB/RJCM], and Obihiro [OBO/RJCB]. It may translate to the reality that even though Air Do may be lower-cost than ANA or JAL, it is still not easy to make both ends meet with rural routes from cities other than Tokyo.

Source: Air Do, January 21st. (in Japanese)
Source: All Nippon Airways, January 21st. (in Japanese) 
Source: Aviation Wire, January 23rd. (in Japanese)

Air Do to retire Bear Do Dream on November 30th.

AIRDO [HD/ADO] (d.b.a. Air Do) will retire its last special livery aircraft, Boeing 737-54K JA305K Bear Do Dream, on November 30th. The last revenue flight is currently planned to be HD028, service from Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] to Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] that will depart at 1600 JST. 

Boeing 737-54K JA305K Bear Do Dream arrives at Sendai. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Bear Do Dream inaugurated service on March 24th, 2011 as the Hokkaido airline's second special-themed airplane after Boeing 737-54K JA8196 Bear Do, which entered service on April 6th, 2009, and was retired on March 14th this year (Air Do retires 'Bear Do'; five Boeing 737-500s remain.). After retirement, it is expected to be returned to lessor All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) and re-enter service with subsidiary ANA Wings [EH/AKX].

Air Do has released the schedule of Bear Do Dream for its last three days of operations, where it will make its last appearance at Fukushima [FKS/RJSF], Kushiro [KUH/RJCK], and Toyama [TOY/RJNT] before its ultimate flight.

Bear Do Dream Flight Schedule for November 28th:
HD112 CTS 0830 – 0955 FKS
HD113 FKS 1025 – 1145 CTS
HD120 CTS 1215 – 1350 TOY
HD121 TOY 1420 – 1550 CTS
HD114 CTS 1625 – 1750 FKS
HD115 FKS 1820 – 1940 CTS
HD036 CTS 2010 – 2150 HND

Bear Do Dream Flight Schedule for November 29th and 30th:
HD071 HND 0745 – 0920 KUH
HD072 KUH 0950 – 1140 HND
HD025 HND 1350 – 1525 CTS
HD028 CTS 1600 – 1740 HND

Air Do's narrowbody fleet is currently transitioning from 126-seat 737-500s to 144-seat 737-700s, both supplied from ANA, subsidiary of ANA Holdings, which controls 14% of the Hokkaido-based carrier. Bear Do Dream's departure will leave the fleet with two 767-300ERs, two 767-300s, six 737-700s, and three 737-500s, with the remaining trio of 'Classic' Baby Boeings slated for replacement by an identical number of 737-700s by January 2016.

Reference: AIRDO @ Facebook. (in Japanese)

ANA operates 'Boeing 747-400 Graduation Flight'.

On March 15th, All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) brought the Boeing 747-400D to Sendai (SDJ/RJSS) and Fukushima (FKS/RJSF) to operate 'Wings of Heart: Boeing 747-400 Graduation Flight', in support of the ongoing rebuilding of areas devastated by the 3.11 earthquake and tsunami three years ago.

Boeing 747-481/D JA8961 taxiing for departure at Haneda. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

B747-481/D JA8961, which will become the ultimate ANA 'Jumbo Jet', had the honor of operating these commemorative flights, while sister JA8960 sat at Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) as back-up. JA8961 departed Haneda at 0625 on a ferry flight to Sendai and landed at 0755, local time, after making a low flypast (flyby). 420 lucky sixth-grade students (final year of primary school) from Miyagi prefecture, chosen from a much larger number of applications, were given the opportunity to tour the aircraft from outside on the tarmac before the scenic flight. With a total of 464 persons on board including parents, staff, and media, JA8961 departed Sendai at 1000 and took the young flyers south to Mount Fuji, returning to the same airport at 1203.

Sixth-grade graduating students see off Boeing 747-481/D JA8961 from the apron at Sendai. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

After Sendai, JA8961 headed to Fukushima, arriving at 0152, local time, again after performing a low flypast. This time with 359 people on board including 180 sixth-grade students from Fukushima prefecture, their parents, staff, and media personnel, the 'Queen of the Skies' departed at 1540 and took its passengers above around Aizu, the Ou Mountains, Hanamaki, Miyako, and Iwaki, before returning to the same airport at 1720. This would become the first and last time ANA's B747 visits Fukushima, which is equipped with a 2,500-meter runway but usually only sees just a handful of domestic flights; Osaka/Itami (ITM/RJOO) is served five times daily by IBEX Airlines (FW/IBX) Bombardier CRJs and ANA Wings (EH/AKX) Bombardier DHC-8-400Qs, while Sapporo/New Chitose (CTS/RJCC) is flown twice daily with Air Do (HD/ADO) B737s.

Crowds gather to welcome Boeing 747-481/D JA8961 at Fukushima. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Farewell celebrations took place at both Sendai and Fukushima, and JA8961 was ferried later that evening to Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) to prepare for 'Sayonara Flight Charter' and 'Kumamoto Scenic Flight' (ANA releases Boeing 747 Kumamoto charter schedule.) the following day on March 16th.

Source: Aviation Wire, March 15th. (in Japanese)

ANA to bring the Boeing 747 to Sendai and Fukushima.

All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) will bring the Boeing 747-400D to Sendai (SDJ/RJSS) and Fukushima (FKS/RJSF) on March 15th to fly 'Wings of Heart: Boeing 747-400 Graduation Flight', in support of the ongoing rebuilding of areas devastated by the 3.11 earthquake and tsunami three years ago.

Boeing 747-481/D JA8965 at Haneda. It was retired in June 2013. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Primary (elementary) school and junior high (middle) school students living in the prefectures of Miyagi and Fukushima who will be graduating in March 2014 will be eligible to apply for the B747 scenic flight. The aircraft will be ferried from Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) to Sendai for the first scenic flight, which will depart at 1030 and return at 1155, and then be ferried to Fukushima for the second part, which will depart at 1540 and return at 1700, local time. At the end of the day, the B747 will be ferried to Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) for the charter flight to Kumamoto the following day. (ANA releases Boeing 747 Kumamoto charter schedule.)

These flights are also part of ANA's five-month-long 'Final 747: Thanks Jumbo!' series of events commemorating the retirement of the Jumbo Jet, which kicked off with a 'Satogaeri Flight' (homecoming flight) from Haneda to Hakodate (HKD/RJCH) on October 27th, 2013.

Source: All Nippon Airways (in Japanese)

ANA releases Boeing 747 Kumamoto charter schedule.

All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) has released the timetable of 'Sayonara Flight Charter' and 'Kumamoto Scenic Flight', which will take place on March 16th. These are part of the airline's 'Final 747: Thanks Jumbo!' series of events commemorating the retirement of Boeing's Jumbo Jet.

0800 Gather at Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) Terminal 1.
0800 – 0930 Photo opportunity of the Boeing 747 from the tarmac.
1005 The Boeing 747-400D will depart Narita.
1200 Arrive at Kumamoto (KMJ/RJFT).
1200 – 1320 Photo opportunity with the Boeing 747 and ANA's Flight Attendants.
1330 – 1420 A talk by Captains of the Boeing 747 and chances to win memorabilia.
1420 – 1540 Sightseeing flight on the Boeing 747 from and to Kumamoto.
1610 – 1710 The Boeing 747 will perform touch-and-go's.
1800 Depart Kumamoto.
1945 Arrive at Narita.

The tour will consist of two parts; 'Sayonara Flight Charter' is the Narita - Kumamoto round-trip part of the tour, while the 'Kumamoto Scenic Flight' is the other. Due to time constraints, passengers can only choose one part. Tickets for the former will go on sale at 1400 on January 24th, and for the latter at 1400 on January 27th.

A photo on ANA's 'Final 747: Thanks Jumbo!' website. (Image: ANA)

Meanwhile, ANA has also hinted plans to operate B747-400D charter flights to Sendai (SDJ/RJSS) and Fukushima (FKS/RJSF) in support of the ongoing rebuilding of areas devastated by the 3.11 earthquake and tsunami three years ago. Details will be announced in the coming days.

Source: All Nippon Airways (in Japanese)

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