Vanilla Air announces Okinawa – Taipei.

On May 25th, Vanilla Air [JW/VNL] announced that it will commence Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] – Taipei/Taoyuan [TPE/RCTP] on September 14th. An additional Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] – Naha round-trip will also be added at the same time. All flights will be operated by 180-seat Airbus A320-200s. The LCC arm of ANA Holdings continues to add more destinations from Taipei, which is set to become their second hub and the first outside Japan.

Airbus A320-214(SL) JA03VA is one of two aircraft in Vanilla Air's fleet with a non-standard white livery. When the first AirAsia Japan (Mk I) was re-launched as Vanilla Air, they did not have enough time to fully paint the aircraft before they needed it. Their original three A320s still retain the basic AirAsia interior. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Tickets went on sale on May 26th. One-way fares start from 4,590 JPY for a ticket with no baggage allowance (Simple Vanilla) and 6,590 JPY for an inclusive ticket with 20 kilograms of baggage allowance plus free seat selection (Komi-komi Vanilla).

Flight Schedule:
Naha – Taipei/Taoyuan NEW daily with A320-200.
JW189 OKA 2110 – 2145 TPE 32A/320 Mo/Tu/Th/Fr/Sa/Su *From Sep/15.
JW189 OKA 2035 – 2110 TPE 32A/320 We *From Sep/14.
JW180 TPE 0610 – 0845 OKA 32A/320 Daily *From Sep/15.

The aircraft for the outbound service will arrive from Narita into Naha flying the newly added flight, and then hop to Taipei, to turn around for their Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB] link, which was only launched on April 27th (Vanilla Air adds Kansai – Taipei, plans SE Asia in 4Q2016.). The inbound leg will be part of the Kansai – Taipei – Naha – Narita routing.

Naha becomes Vanilla Air's third destination from Taipei, and it is part of their strategy to make the Taiwanese capital a scissors hub to connect Japan and Southeast Asia (Vanilla Air eyes China, Southeast Asia, and Okinawa hub.), which is similar to what part-sister Peach hopes to do at Naha (Peach launches Naha hub; but Naha – Ishigaki axed.). From Taipei, it currently flies to Narita four times daily, and plans are underway to add Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam using fifth freedom rights, as well as Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC].

Bangkok/Don Mueang [DMK/VTBD] is likely to become their first destination in Southeast Asia, and Vanilla is reportedly in talks with fellow Value Alliance (Vanilla Air joins seven LCCs to form Value Alliance.) member Nok Airlines (d.b.a. Nok Air) [DD/NOK] for a stronger partnership.

Source: Vanilla Air, 2016 May 25th. (in Japanese)

Skymark loads Haneda red-eye to Okinawa and Sapporo.

On February 19th, Skymark Airlines [BC/SKY] announced that it will operate midnight flights from its Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] hub to Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] and Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] between July 1st and October 2nd. The former will operate daily while the latter will fly every day except for Monday. This is the first time a scheduled midnight domestic passenger flight has been loaded from New Chitose since its opening in 1988. All flights will be operated by 177-seat Boeing 737-800s.

Boeing 737-86N(WL) JA73NJ taxies for departure from Haneda. Chairman Nobuo Sayama believes that Skymark would need to go international before the end of the decade as the domestic market continues to shrink. It currently flies 26 737-800s. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The Haneda – New Chitose red-eye round-trip departs Tokyo in the evening, arriving at the Hokkaido capital later in the evening, while the return leg departs New Chitose just past midnight, arriving into Haneda in the early hours. Meanwhile, for the Haneda – Naha red-eye service, both ways will be timed in the early hours of the day and arrive near sunrise at the respective destinations. Fares start from as low as 6,000 JPY, excluding airport service charge.

Flight Schedule:
Haneda – Naha NEW six weekly RED-EYE flight with 737-800.
BC527 HND 0235 – 0520 OKA 73H/738 Tu/We/Th/Fr/Sa/Su *Jul/1 - Oct/2.
BC528 OKA 0305 – 0525 HND 73H/738 Tu/We/Th/Fr/Sa/Su *Jul/1 - Oct/2.
**Skymark will operate up to seven round-trips total per day.

Haneda – New Chitose NEW daily RED-EYE flight with 737-800.
BC731 HND 2130 – 2305 CTS 73H/738 Daily *Jul/1 - Oct/1.
BC732 CTS 0010 – 0200 HND 73H/738 Daily *Jul/2 - Oct/2.
**Skymark will operate nine round-trips total per day.

Last October, local governments and residents near New Chitose agreed to allow up to 30 slot-pairs to arrive and depart between 2200 and 0700 JST in an effort to lure and offer flexibility to cost-conscious airlines. Previously, only six were made available. Until now, the slots have mostly been used by freight carriers or All Nippon Airways' [NH/ANA] passenger aircraft carrying only belly cargo. Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij [KL/KLM] (d.b.a. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines) was the first to operate scheduled passenger services using the slots, inaugurating Nagoya/Komaki [NKM/RJNA] – New Chitose – Amsterdam/Schiphol [AMS/EHAM] in October 1997. It was suspended in February 2002.

Once post-deregulation's most successful start-up to challenge the ANA/JAL duopoly, the bankrupt airline (Skymark to file for bankruptcy.) is now owned by Integral Corporation, which holds 50.1%, ANA Holdings, with 16.5%, and UDS Airlines Investment, having 33.4% (Skymark relaunched with ANA sponsorship.). UDS is a new investment firm jointly owned by Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, both loyal partners of ANA.

Code-sharing with ANA, which was planned for Winter 2016/2017, has now been indefinitely postponed, as Skymark continues to refuse to adopt ANA's Able-D reservation system. "ANA told us they would not provide overhaul needed to make two grounded 737s airworthy unless we adopt their system," revealed Nobuo Sayama, Chairman of Skymark and biggest shareholder Integral's President, in an interview, adding "Adopting Able-D would virtually place Skymark under the umbrella of ANA; we would lose our freedom of operation and will not be able to maintain independence. We raised our hands to invest in Skymark because we thought Japan would not have any airline that is run independently." Mr. Sayama has already outsourced overhaul on one of the 737s, and is proposing to place an interface between its system and ANA's to enable code-sharing, which has so far been declined by ANA.

Taking up Able-D would essentially relegate Skymark to a de facto puppet of ANA, joining the likes of AIRDO [HD/ADO] (d.b.a. Air Do), Solaseed Air [6J/SNJ], and Star Flyer [7G/SFJ]. The conflict will continue between Integral and ANA as the former's interest lies in keeping Skymark operationally independent until its planned re-listing in 2020, while the latter wants to keep Skymark under its influence for as long as possible to shut out true competition at bread-and-butter Haneda. With Skymark expected to post a full-year profit for FY2015, ending on March 31st, as performance quickly improves and fuel prices continue to be low, code-sharing with ANA would become less of a priority for Skymark and it would only become more difficult for ANA to tame Skymark.

Source: Hokkaido Prefectural Government. (in Japanese)
Source: Skymark Airlines, 2016 February 19th. (in Japanese)
Source: Hokkaido Shimbun, 2016 February 23rd. (in Japanese)
Source: Bloomberg Japan, 2016 March 3rd. (in Japanese)

Peach Aviation commences Okinawa – Narita.

On February 20th, Peach Aviation [MM/APJ] launched Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] – Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] (Peach Aviation grows Okinawa; Narita and more Taipei.). It initially started out with an evening round-trip flying three times weekly, operating on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, due to limited availability of favorable slot times at Narita, but will be up-gauged to daytime hours and go daily from March 27th, the beginning of the Summer 2016 schedule. 180-seat Airbus A320s are assigned.

Airbus A320-214 JA803P departs Peach's second hub at Naha. It plans a modest fleet of 20 by October 2017 with a third hub at Narita and a fourth in Sendai. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Inaugural flight MM508 departed Naha at 1617 JST, 17 minutes behind schedule, with a load of 168 passengers (including one infant), four flight attendants, and two pilots, and arrived at Narita at 1815, 10 minutes before the published time. A320-214 JA803P operated both legs.

Flight Schedule:
MM504 OKA 1100 – 1340 NRT 320 Daily *From Mar/27.
MM508 OKA 1600 – 1825 NRT 320 Mo/Th/Sa *Feb/20 - Mar/26.
MM505 NRT 1425 – 1715 OKA 320 Daily *From Mar/27.
MM509 NRT 1900 – 2215 OKA 320 Mo/Th/Sa *Feb/20 - Mar/26.

The Ryukyu capital became the growing LCC's fourth destination from Narita, after Fukuoka [FUK/RJFF], Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB], and Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] (Peach starts Narita to Fukuoka and Sapporo.), and the sixth overall from the Tokyo region, as it serves Seoul/Incheon [ICN/RKSI] (Peach Aviation starts Haneda – Seoul.) and Taipei/Taoyuan [TPE/RCTP] (Peach Aviation inaugurates Haneda – Taipei.) from Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] using midnight slots. Meanwhile, Narita is the sixth city from their Naha hub, which already sees service to Fukuoka, Hong Kong [HKG/VHHH], Kansai, Seoul (Peach Aviation starts Okinawa – Seoul.), and Taipei.

The Naha – Narita route currently has three other airlines operating; All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA], subsidiary of Peach's 38.67% shareholder ANA Holdings, mainly feeds its international flights, while Jetstar Japan [GK/JJP] and Vanilla Air [JW/VNL], ANA's wholly-owned LCC arm, compete with Peach. Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] withdrew from the route in October 2014 and instead code-shares with 33% subsidiary Jetstar Japan to feed its international flights (JAL to terminate Narita – Okinawa.).

One year ago, Peach had publicly stated that Narita would become its third hub after Kansai and Naha (Peach confirms Narita hub; adds Fukuoka and Sapporo.), however, CEO Shinichi Inoue has admitted that it could be delayed due to the unavailability of favorable slot times, and hubbing Sendai [SDJ/RJSS] may end up coming before (Peach plans Sendai hub by Summer 2017.). Meanwhile, Mr. Inoue is eager to add more midnight international flights from Haneda, with Hong Kong being the most likely candidate. Peach does not have any access to daytime slots, hence a split operation for Tokyo.

Source: Aviation Wire, 2016 February 20th. (in Japanese)

Vanilla Air eyes China, Southeast Asia, and Okinawa hub.

On January 29th, Vanilla Air's [JW/VNL] owner ANA Holdings, parent of Japan's largest carrier All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA], announced that it would increase the Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA]-based LCC's capacity by 218% as measured by available seat kilometers (ASKs) by the end of FY2020. It aims to become the number one LCC at Narita, going head to head with rival Jetstar Japan [GK/JJP], and also partly competing with sister Peach Aviation [MM/APJ], minority-owned by ANA.

Airbus A320-216(SL) JA06VA taxies for departure from Narita. Vanilla Air plans to add up to five aircraft in FY2016, with another dozen to be inducted by FY2020. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Vanilla will add more leisure-oriented markets, including cities which have yet to be served by the ANA Group, and enter the Chinese market to tap into Japan's largest source of inbound tourists. It also envisions setting up its second hub at Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH], and designating Taipei/Taoyuan [TPE/RCTP] a strategic focus city, which would inevitably increase overlap with Peach (Peach Aviation grows Okinawa; Narita and more Taipei.). Guam, Saipan, Philippines, along with Southeast Asia are on the horizon, though Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB] – Taipei (Vanilla Air to add Kansai – Taipei in Summer 2016.) is expected to become the next route.

Its current fleet of eight 180-seat Airbus A320s will be grown to 25 by FY2020, and the re-engined A320neo is under consideration. Acquisition of A330 wide-body aircraft will also continue to be evaluated, but it would be necessary if Vanilla wishes to fly to Southeast Asia nonstop from Narita both ways without payload penalties. "A single-type operation is the LCC formula, but we're also evaluating a plan with wide-bodies," said ANA Holdings President Shinya Katanozaka, adding "Asian LCCs are evolving, and they're entering longer routes. We may operate two types side-by-side, or even a complete shift to wide-body-only operations in the long-term is also a possibility."

Some sources say there is already an undisclosed done deal for ANA to lease a few A330s from CIT Aerospace for deployment at Vanilla. Pleasing CIT, Skymark Airlines' [BC/SKY] fourth largest creditor after Intrepid Aviation, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce, was also necessary for ANA to win support to sponsor Japan's bankrupt third largest airline (Bye-bye Skymark, Hello ANA Airbus A380?). Meanwhile, Vanilla has become quiet on any plans to fly to Hawaii after ANA finally released plans to fly Skymark's displaced A380s to the popular resort destination. With ANA's A380s planned to accommodate 500 to 600 passengers, they would virtually be dumping seats in the market overnight, and an entry by Vanilla would result in excessive overcapacity.

Source: ANA Holdings, 2016 January 29th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, 2016 February 3rd. (in Japanese)

*Edited/updated on 2016 February 3rd. 

Skymark to add nonstop Ibaraki – Okinawa.

On January 21st, Skymark Airlines [BC/SKY] announced that it will add Ibaraki [IBR/RJAH] – Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] nonstop service effective April 28th. The new service will be operated daily using 177-seat Boeing 737-800s. This becomes the first new route launched by the bankrupt airline (Skymark to file for bankruptcy.) since a revamped management was installed by new owners ANA Holdings, parent of All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA], Integral Corporation, and UDS Airlines Invstment (Skymark relaunched with ANA sponsorship.).

Boeing 737-86N(WL) JA73NX at Narita. Skymark completely withdrew from Narita on October 25th, 2014 (Skymark announces Narita closure and Yonago cuts.) after losing the battle against LCCs. It currently operates 26 737s on 16 nonstop routes which mostly originate from its Haneda hub and focus cities at Kobe and Ibaraki. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Japan's third largest airline currently offers a one-stop fly-through product between the two cities via Kobe [UKB/RJBE]. Making it nonstop cuts travel time from four to three hours and 15 minutes. It is not the first time Skymark has experimented with the route, having operated nonstop as a seasonal service in 2012 from July 1st to September 30th and again in 2013 from July 1st to October 26th. The last new route was Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] – Naha, which was inaugurated on January 29th, 2015, though it was suspended only two months later.

Flight Schedule:
Ibaraki – Naha NEW 1 daily with 737-800. (Apr/28-)
BC539 IBR 1900 – 2215 OKA 73H/738 Daily
BC530 OKA 0725 – 0955 IBR 73H/738 Daily

Skymark, which designates Ibaraki as a focus city, is the only domestic airline at the airport, flying to Fukuoka [FUK/RJFF], Kobe, and New Chitose, though operations have been downsized during restructuring (Skymark downsizes Ibaraki from September.). Ibaraki is dubbed the third airport serving the Kanto (Greater Tokyo) region, located 80 kilometers northeast of the capital, and the only LCC-friendly one in the region, boasting landing fees 30-40% lower than Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] and Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT].

Once post-deregulation's most successful start-up to challenge the ANA/JAL duopoly, it is now controlled by Integral Corporation, which owns 50.1%, ANA Holdings, with 16.5%, and UDS Airlines Investment, having 33.4%. UDS is a new investment firm jointly owned by Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, both loyal partners of ANA. Code-sharing with ANA, which was planned for Winter 2016/2017, has now been further postponed, as Skymark continues to refuse to adopt ANA's Able-D reservation system. It would enable code-shares but would essentially relegate Skymark to a de facto puppet of ANA, joining the likes of AIRDO [HD/ADO] (d.b.a. Air Do), Solaseed Air [6J/SNJ], and Star Flyer [7G/SFJ]. Skymark strives to remain operationally independent until its planned re-listing in 2020, while ANA wants to keep it under its influence for as long as possible to shut out true competition at bread-and-butter Haneda.

Source: Skymark Airlines, 2016 January 21st. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, 2016 January 21st. (in Japanese)
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, 2016 January 24th. (in Japanese)

Peach Aviation grows Okinawa; Narita and more Taipei.

On December 8th, Peach Aviation [MM/APJ] announced that it will launch Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] – Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] on February 20th, 2016. The new link will initially be operated three times per week, increasing to daily from the Summer 2016 timetable effective March 27th, using 180-seat Airbus A320-200s. The growing LCC will also expand Naha – Taipei/Taoyuan [TPE/RCTP] service from daily to 10 weekly from February 19th, and to twice daily from the Summer 2016 schedule.

Airbus A320-214 JA809P along with two others prepare for their next assignment at Kansai Airport's Terminal 2. Peach currently flies 17 A320s with the 18th due in March 2016. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

One-way fares for Naha – Narita start from 5,890 JPY for a Happy Peach ticket, which includes a 10-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance, and for Naha – Taipei/Taoyuan from 4,780 JPY. Tickets went on sale today. Both new round-trips are timed in the evening.

Flight Schedule:
Naha – Narita NEW three times weekly with A320-200. (From Feb/20.)
MM508 OKA 1600 – 1825 NRT 320 Mo/Th/Sa *Daily from Mar/27.
MM509 NRT 1900 – 2215 OKA 320 Mo/Th/Sa *Daily from Mar/27.

Naha – Taipei/Taoyuan increase from daily to 10 weekly with A320-200. (From Feb/19.)
MM921 OKA 0905 – 0940 TPE 320 Daily
MM927 OKA 1640 – 1715 TPE 320 We/Fr/Su *NEW. Daily from Mar/27.
MM922 TPE 1015 – 1245 OKA 320 Daily
MM928 TPE 1750 – 2020 OKA 320 We/Fr/Su *NEW. Daily from Mar/27.

Peach's second hub at Naha (Peach launches Naha hub; but Naha – Ishigaki axed.) currently boasts Fukuoka [FUK/RJFF], Hong Kong [HKG/VHHH], Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB], Seoul/Incheon [ICN/RKSI] (Peach Aviation starts Okinawa – Seoul.), and Taipei/Taoyuan, while Narita sees Fukuoka, Kansai, and Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] (Peach starts Narita to Fukuoka and Sapporo.). The Kansai-based LCC will make Tokyo's main international gateway its third hub (Peach confirms Narita hub; adds Fukuoka and Sapporo.), though Sendai [SDJ/RJSS] could come before depending on the availability of favorable slots at Narita (Peach plans Sendai hub by Summer 2017.).

Narita – Naha is also served by All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA], mostly catering to international – domestic connections, along with Jetstar Japan [GK/JJP] and Peach's sister Vanilla Air [JW/VNL], making it the second route after Narita – New Chitose to see three LCCs competing. That said, ANA Holdings' two sister LCCs will initially avoid direct competition, as Vanilla's flight is in the morning while Peach's is in the evening, unlike with Narita – New Chitose. ANA has always considered consolidating the two as their network overlap becomes inevitable, however, while Vanilla is wholly-owned by ANA, it only holds a minority (though still significant) 39% stake in Peach and its CEO Shinichi Inoue has repeatedly shown preference to grow organically, making any merger out of question at least in the near term.

Source: Peach Aviation, 2015 December 8th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, 2015 December 8th. (in Japanese) 

Peach Aviation starts Okinawa – Seoul.

On September 4th, Peach Aviation [MM/APJ] launched Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] – Seoul/Incheon [ICN/RKSI] (Peach announces Okinawa – Seoul.). Operated by 180-seat Airbus A320-200s, the daily service became their fifth route out of their Naha hub (Peach launches Naha hub; but Naha – Ishigaki axed.). Japan's so far most successful LCC already serves the South Korean capital three times daily from Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB].

Airbus A320-214 JA808P departs on Peach's inaugural flight from Naha to Incheon. It boasts a modest fleet of 16 A320s. Their 17th will arrive in November, followed by one aircraft each in March, July, and November next year for a total of 20. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Inaugural flight MM905 departed Naha at 1304 JST with 151 passengers, including five children. Along with locals, many American workers at Okinawa's U.S. bases were also on the flight. Aircraft assigned was A320-214 JA808P, which arrived at Incheon 17 minutes late at 1532 due to traffic congestion. Return leg MM906 left Incheon at 1611 carrying a full load of 180 passengers, including three children, and arrived at Naha at 1824.

"Unlike the majors, Peach's target is younger travelers. We're seeing repeaters," said Shinichi Inoue, CEO of the Kansai-headquartered LCC, when asked about expansion in the Japan – South Korea market, which has seen Japanese incumbents reducing capacity due to political tensions and territorial disputes. Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA]-based sister LCC Vanilla Air [JW/VNL] also withdrew from the market in March this year (Vanilla Air to suspend Seoul.).

Flight Schedule:
Naha – Seoul/Incheon NEW daily with A320-200.
MM905 OKA 1305 – 1515 ICN 320 Daily
MM906 ICN 1555 – 1805 OKA 320 Daily

Peach first arrived in Naha with service from Kansai on October 18th, 2012, and added Ishigaki [ISG/ROIG] on September 13th, 2013, followed by Taipei/Taoyuan [TPE/RCTP] seven days later. It was upgraded to a hub on July 19th, 2014 with the launch of Fukuoka [FUK/RJFF], though Ishigaki became the first route to be axed on Peach's network at the same time (Peach launches Naha hub; but Naha – Ishigaki axed.). Although Mr. Inoue cited heavy competition as the reason for the suspension, rumors point out to 39% owner ANA Holdings pressuring Peach to exit the short but high-demand route connecting the two major Okinawa islands to protect All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA]. Hong Kong [HKG/VHHH] was launched on February 21st (Peach commences Okinawa – Hong Kong.).

The growing LCC currently bases two A320s at Naha, with ambitions to turn it into a scissors hub to funnel passengers between the main islands of Japan and Southeast Asia. Peach has publicly said Thailand and Vietnam are their top priorities, followed by Malaysia and Singapore. Bangkok/Don Mueang [DMK/VTBD] is being evaluated for launch during the Winter 2015/2016 timetable (Peach mulls Okinawa – Bangkok.), possibly sometime after their 17th A320 is delivered in November. However, Peach does not offer a fly-through product as of yet, forcing passengers to buy two segments separately if they wished to connect, and this may need to change if Mr. Inoue is serious about a full-fledged transit hub.

Source: Aviation Wire, 2015 September 4th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, 2015 September 4th. (in Japanese)

First Flying DHC-6-400 skids off runway at Aguni.

On August 28th, First Flying's [DAK] flight DAK101 operated by Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter JA201D veered off the runway to the right and crashed into the airport perimeter fence after touching down at Aguni [AGJ/RORA] around 0854 JST. All 14 on board, including three crew, evacuated safely, and some were treated for minor injuries at the island sole clinic. This aircraft was delivered in March this year and had only entered service earlier this month (First Flying bids farewell to Islander, welcomes Twin Otter.).

Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter JA201D seen after crashing into the perimeter fence after skidding off the runway upon landing at Aguni. (Photo: Aguni Airport)

Visibility was reportedly good at 10 kilometers and winds were mild as well at the time of the accident. "Touch down was like any other, but when I deployed the brakes, I felt something unusual as if the tires got locked. Then the aircraft became uncontrollable and skidded off the runway," according to the first officer who was at the controls. The 62-year-old pilot had logged 16,000 total hours, however, the flight was the final part of a 65-hour training on the new DHC-6-400 which would have promoted him to captain. A 57-year-old pilot served as captain on the flight. Crew training on revenue flights are not uncommon.

The right landing gear was torn off and the forward section seems to have significant damage. The aircraft is only six months old. (Photo: Aguni Airport)

Officials of Japan Transport Safety Board (JCAB), a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT), arrived at the scene on the following day today on August 29th and designated it an accident. The nose and forward section of the fuselage have been significantly damaged, along with engine number two, while the right landing has been torn off. "It appears the aircraft still had speed when it crashed into the fence. We will tow the aircraft out of the area to examine it, while checking the flight records to investigate how and why it happened," said a JTSB official.

Aguni, which has a single 800-meter runway, will be closed until further notice. First Flying is the only airline serving the island with three-times-daily service connecting it with Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH], the prefecture's capital located 60 kilometers southeast. The remote airport opened for flights in 1978. For the 750 inhabitants, a daily 130-minute ferry ride would become the only means of transport to and from Naha for the time being. First Flying will suspend the 20-minute route until the cause is identified, while it has also confirmed that the launch of new routes from Ishigaki [ISG/ROIG] to Hateruma [HTR/RORH] and Tarama [TRA/RORT], planned for December 1st, would be postponed.

Source: NHK, 2015 August 28th. (in Japanese)
Source: NHK, 2015 August 29th. (in Japanese)
Source: Okinawa Times, 2015 August 29th. (in Japanese)

First Flying bids farewell to Islander, welcomes Twin Otter.

On August 2nd, First Flying [DAK] introduced the 19-seat Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter on the Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] – Aguni [AGJ/RORA] route. The newly-delivered aircraft replaced the nine-seat Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-20 Islander, which operated its last revenue flight on July 31st, on their three-times-daily 25-minute hop connecting Naha and the remote island. This leaves Kagoshima [KOJ/RJFK]-based New Japan Aviation [NJA] as the last remaining airline flying the Islander in Japan.

Viking/de Havilland Canada DHC-6-400 Twin Otter JA201D is adorned with colorful decals of the mascots of Aguni, Ishigaki, Taketomi (Hateruma), and Tarama, which are First Flying's current and soon-to-be-served destinations. (Photo: First Flying)

First Flying originally inherited two Islanders from Ryukyu Air Commuter [RAC] in 2009 to take over the Naha – Aguni link as well as launch Naha – Okinoerabu [OKE/RJKB] – Tokunoshima [TKN/RJKN] in June that year. However, just over a year later in September 2010, the tiny carrier announced it could no longer afford to continue the routes after heavy losses. Termination was averted after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT), and later Okinawa prefecture, stepped in to subsidize the essential air links.

A farewell banner was placed on the walls at Aguni Airport's tiny terminal to commemorate the retirement of the Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B Islander. (Photo: First Flying)

Meanwhile, First Flying is now preparing to reinstate two island-hopping routes from Ishigaki [ISG/ROIG] on December 1st: Hateruma [HTR/RORH] and Tarama [TRA/RORT]. The former hasn't seen scheduled air service since November 2008, while the latter has manged to retain a link to Miyako [MMY/ROMY] with Ryukyu Air Commuter. The brand-new DHC-6-400s will be deployed on these routes as well.

Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-20 Islander JA5325 at Aguni. First Flying operated three examples. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The small island-hopping niche airline is the Japanese launch customer for the revamped new-generation variant of the venerable STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing) aircraft originally developed by de Havilland Canada back in 1964 (First Flying orders two Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otters.). The two aircraft arrived in March 26th, and had been used on proving flights and crew training mostly at Kagoshima.

After purchasing all type certificates from Bombardier Aerospace for all out-of-production models from the DHC-1 to the DHC-7, Viking Air started offering the DHC-6-400 in July 2006. The revamped STOL turboprop boasts more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34/35 engines, Honeywell Primus Apex fully-integrated avionics, deletion of the AC electrical system and beta backup system, modernization of the electrical and lighting system, and composites for non-load-bearing structures such as doors.

Source: Japan General Aviation Service, 2015 March 31st. (in Japanese)
Source: First Flying @ Facebook.
Source: Yaeyama Mainichi Shimbun, 2015 August 19th. (in Japanese)

Jetstar Japan commences Nagoya – Okinawa.

On March 29th, Jetstar Japan [GK/JJP] inaugurated Nagoya/Chubu Centrair [NGO/RJGG] – Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] with a daily frequency operated by 180-seat Airbus A320s (Jetstar Japan to start Nagoya – Okinawa.). It became the 20th route for the Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA]-headquartered LCC, while they are the first LCC to connect the two cities. Meanwhile, their twice-daily Chubu Centrair – Kumamoto [KMJ/RJFT] service (Jetstar Japan starts three routes from Kumamoto.) has been reduced to once daily.

Airbus A320-232(SL) JA06JJ departs Nagoya's Chubu Centrair on the inaugural flight to Naha in Okinawa. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

The first flight out of Chubu Centrair as GK381 departed Gate 7 at 1207 JST, 12 minutes behind schedule, carrying 169 passengers, including four children and infants. It was operated by A320-232(SL) JA06JJ. "Naha is a strong leisure-demand destination along with Sapporo, and the traveling public has been waiting for an LCC," said Hiroshi Kawakami, President of Central Japan International Airport, which operates Nagoya's global gateway.

Flight Schedule:
Chubu Centrair – Naha NEW 1 daily with A320-200. (2015/Mar/29 - Oct/24)
GK381 NGO 1155 – 1415 OKA 32A/320 Daily
GK382 OKA 1505 – 1715 NGO 32A/320 Daily

Naha becomes Jetstar Japan's fifth nonstop destination from Chubu Centrair after Fukuoka [FUK/RJFF], Kagoshima [KOJ/RJFK], Kumamoto, and Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC]. Now that its second hub at Osaka/Kansai [KIX/RJBB] (Jetstar Japan launches Kansai hub.) has been set up, they are expected to develop a third hub at the airport serving the nation's third largest metropolitan region. AirAsia Japan (Mk II) is also expected to establish its main base at Chubu Centrair with flights to begin before the end of this year (New AirAsia Japan's first Airbus A320 due in July.).

The Chubu Centrair – Naha route sees competition from All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] with twice-daily service, fellow Japan Airlines [JL/JAL]-affiliate Japan Transocean Air [NU/JTA] four times daily, Skymark Airlines [BC/SKY] daily, and Skynet Asia Airways [6J/SNJ] (d.b.a. Solaseed Air), which also launched the route on the same day as Jetstar Japan (Solaseed Air expands Okinawa with Ishigaki and Nagoya.), with a daily round-trip.

Source: Aviation Wire, March 29th. (in Japanese)
Source: Traicy, March 29th. (in Japanese)

*Edited/corrected on March 31st, 2015.

Solaseed Air expands Okinawa with Ishigaki and Nagoya.

On March 29th, Skynet Asia Airways [6J/SNJ] (d.b.a. Solaseed Air) launched twice-daily Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] – Ishigaki [ISG/ROIG] and daily Naha – Nagoya/Chubu Centrair [NGO/RJGG] services using 174-seat Boeing 737-800s (Solaseed Air loads Okinawa to Ishigaki and Nagoya.). Both routes code-share with All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA], whose parent ANA Holdings controls 8.56% of Solaseed Air. It is virtually a transferring of routes, as ANA dropped an identical number of frequencies on the two routes on the same day.

Boeing 737-86N(WL) JA811X touches down at Ishigaki completing its inaugural flight. Solaseed Air's expansion coincides with the arrival of their 12th aircraft, which was only delivered on March 18th. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

The inaugural flight to Ishigaki, flight 6J045, operated by 737-86N(WL) JA811X, departed Naha at 1113 JST with a full load of 174 passengers including five children, and touched down at the gateway to the Yaeyama Islands at 1207. The first return leg 6J046 departed Ishigaki at 1255 carrying 165 passengers, including one child, and arrived back at Naha at 1344. Meanwhile, the first flight from Chubu Centrair as 6J069, operated by 737-86N(WL) JA806X, carried 173 passengers including one child.

Flight Schedule:
Naha – Ishigaki NEW 2 daily with 737-800. (Mar/29 - Oct/24)
6J045 OKA 1115 – 1215 ISG 73H Daily *Departs/arrives 10 minutes early Jul/1 - Sep/30.
6J049 OKA 1745 – 1845 ISG 73H Daily
6J046 ISG 1250 – 1345 OKA 73H Daily *Departs/arrives 10 minutes early Jul/1 - Sep/30.
6J050 ISG 1920 – 2015 OKA 73H Daily

Naha – Chubu Centrair NEW daily with 737-800. (Mar/29 - Oct/24)
6J070 OKA 1200 – 1410 NGO 73H Daily *Arrives 5 minutes late Jul/1 - Sep/30.
6J069 NGO 1445 – 1710 OKA 73H Daily *Departs 5 minutes late Jul/1 - Sep/30.

Naha – Ishigaki saw Peach Aviation [MM/APJ] axe the route in July last year (Peach launches Naha hub; but Naha – Ishigaki axed.), while Skymark Airlines [BC/SKY] also operated its last flight on March 28th as part of their bankruptcy reorganizing (Skymark to cut 15% of flights, ground all Airbus A330s.). ANA reduced its frequency to six, while Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] affiliates Japan Transocean Air [NU/JTA] and Ryukyu Air Commuter [RAC] together continue to operate nine daily round-trips. Solaseed Air cut its 28-day advance one-way fare to 4,800 JPY after local governments complained that its initial price was higher than Skymark.

Meanwhile, Naha – Chubu Centrair sees four daily round-trips operated by JTA, two by ANA, and a single frequency by Skymark. Jetstar Japan [GK/JJP] also entered the route with a single round-trip on the same day on March 29th (Jetstar Japan to start Nagoya – Okinawa.), becoming the first LCC to serve the market.

Although not designated a hub, Solaseed Air has a growing Naha operation, which boasts two daily flights to Kagoshima [KOJ/RJFK], three to Kobe [UKB/RJBE], and one to Miyazaki [KMI/RJFM], in addition to the newly-launched destinations. In other news, the Kyushu-based airline is planning its first international charters (Solaseed Air eyes international charters in FY2015.) this year, linking Kyushu and Okinawa with neighboring Asian destinations.

Source: Aviation Wire, March 29th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, March 29th. (in Japanese)

Skymark downsizes Ibaraki from September.

On March 4th, Skymark Airlines [BC/SKY] announced they would downsize their Ibaraki [IBR/RJAH] focus city, along with the closure of Yonago [YGJ/RJOH] (Skymark decides to close Yonago, keep Ibaraki.), effective September 1st. Frequency to both Fukuoka [FUK/RJFF] and Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] would be reduced to just one daily each, while the through-fare to Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH] via Kobe [UKB/RJBE] would be scrapped.

Boeing 737-8FZ(WL) JA737U lands at Haneda in the late afternoon. Its fleet of 27 Boeing narrow-body jets will be reduced by one aircraft this year. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The bankrupt carrier (Skymark to file for bankruptcy.) will also stop offering a through-fare from Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] to Nagasaki [NGS/RJFU] via Kobe, necessitating passengers to buy tickets for each leg separately. On the other hand, Nagoya/Chubu Centrair [NGO/RJGG] – New Chitose and Kobe – Naha would see a round-trip added, increasing frequency to three daily, respectively.

Flight Increases/Reductions effective September 1st:
Ibaraki – Fukuoka from 2 to 1 daily.
Ibaraki – New Chitose from 2 to 1 daily.
Kobe – Naha from 2 to 3 daily.
Chubu Centrair – New Chitose from 2 to 3 daily.
Yonago – Kobe to be suspended.
Yonago – Naha to be suspended.

The embattled airline is currently running on financial aid provided by investment fund Integral Corporation, and they together are in the process of choosing an airline sponsor as well as two or three non-airline partners. AirAsia [AK/AXM] and ANA Holdings, parent of All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA], are the only two airline firms that have submitted comprehensive proposals (ANA and AirAsia bid to save Skymark.).

However, Representative Chairman Takashi Ide said "Our balance sheet looks much better after we standardized on Boeing 737s (Skymark Airbus A330 operates last revenue flight.)," adding "Which airline sponsor we select will depend on how much new value the partnership could bring, and not just increased revenue or cost cuts. We are talking with both parties for details." Mr. Ide also hinted it may opt to team up with only financial firms. The figure of Skymark's total liabilities would be calculated after March 18th, which is the deadline for creditors, including aircraft lessors as well as Airbus (Skymark's Airbus A380 order in jeopardy.), to report how much the airline owes them. Skymark would probably only make a decision after that.

Source: Asahi Shimbun, March 3rd. (in Japanese)
Source: Skymark Airlines, March 4th. (in Japanese)
Source: Nikkei Shimbun, March 4th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, March 4th. (in Japanese)