News Backgrounder
Skymark launches A330 on domestic routes
June 1st 2014
After three postponements, Japan’s Skymark Airlines, the nation’s third biggest carrier, will launch its A330-300 premium economy, five times a day service mid-month, on the key Haneda-Fukuoka route. Read More »
Flight attendants wearing “skimpy blue mini shirts”, a uniform that has attracted the ire of ire of a local flight attendants’ union, will crew the airliners, a marketing gimmick intended to lure the corporate traveler away from its more conservative rivals, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. Skymark said it will continue to fly its five flights a day between the two cities on B737 aircraft.
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Haneda-Fukuoka is Japan’s second busiest domestic route and ranks 3rd in the world by city pairs volume. As A330-300 deliveries increase, Skymark will introduce the airplane on routes from Haneda to Sapporo in Hokkaido and to Naha, Okinawa.
Configured with 271 seats, seven abreast, it has a “Green Seat” with a pitch of 38 inches. The seat title is familiar to Japanese travelers. Japan Rail uses it to describe their first class seating.
Skymark originally intended to inaugurate the A330 at the end of March, but it had to postpone the launch of the service because of aircraft certification delays. This is the first time that the Airbus 330 model has been used in Japan by a Japanese operator. Skymark has ordered 10 of the type, on lease.
There were also delays in maintenance system approval, which further moved back service entry. Cockpit crew training in Japan was also affected – it did not start until April 25. Skymark eventually decided more time was needed for ‘staff familiarization’ of the new aircraft and the latest date given by the carrier was June 14 for the inaugural service.
Led by entrepreneur – and private pilot – Shinichi Nishikubo, Skymark is taking a bold step with the new A330 service, which is unprecedented in Japan. Later this year, he plans another, even bolder move with the introduction of Skymark A380s on long-haul international routes.
Skymark has no international experience, but that doesn’t seem to bother Nishikubo. Although the airline made its first loss for five years last year, Nishikubo is very positive about Skymark’s future.
