Skymark Airlines
Encyclopedia
is a low-cost airline headquartered at Tokyo International Airport
(Haneda) in Ōta, Tokyo
, Japan, operating scheduled passenger services within Japan. In addition to its base at Haneda, Skymark is the dominant carrier at Kobe Airport
and is also the only domestic airline operating at Ibaraki Airport north of Tokyo.
Its major shareholders are CEO Shinichi Nishikubo (35.47%) and the travel agency H.I.S.
(27.62%). The airline has 1,699 employees as of June 2011.
domestic airline after deregulation
of the Japanese airline industry, and started operations on 19 September 1998.
Skymark acquired seven Boeing 767-200 and Boeing 767-300 widebody aircraft between 1998 and 2005. Certain 767 fuselages were painted in special "billboard" liveries advertising third party companies, including DirecTV
, Yahoo Japan, Microsoft
and USEN.
On 11 December 2003, Skymark announced that it expected a profit of 470 million yen for the half-fiscal year ending on 31 October, the first profit made since the airline began operations.
Skymark began acquiring new Boeing 737-800 narrowbody aircraft in 2005, and eventually retired the 767 from its fleet in 2009.
Skymark announced in April 2010 that it would commence "Narita Shuttle" service from Narita International Airport
to Asahikawa, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa in late 2011 and early 2012.
On 8 November 2010 Skymark announced negotiations with Airbus
for an order of four Airbus A380
aircraft and two options
, which would make it the first Japanese airline to order the type. This order was confirmed as definite during February 2011. The airline intends to use the aircraft on a number of long-haul trunk routes out of Narita Airport
, like London
, Frankfurt
, Paris
or New York
. Skymark intends to operate the A380s in a two-class, 394-seat configuration - with 114 seats in business class
and 280 in a premium economy
class. Business Class said to be equipped with angled lie-flat seats at 60" pitch and 20.7" width, while "shell-style" seats at 38" pitch and 20.5" width will be offered in Premium Economy.
In June 2011, Skymark began providing award seats through the Delta Air Lines
SkyMiles program.
Terminated destinations include Aomori
, Osaka (Itami)
, Osaka (Kansai)
and Tokushima
.
As of November 2011, the Skymark Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 2.6 years:
Tokyo International Airport
, commonly known as , is one of the two primary airports that serve the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. It is located in Ōta, Tokyo, south of Tokyo Station....
(Haneda) in Ōta, Tokyo
Ota, Tokyo
is one of the 23 Special wards of Tokyo, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 676,458, with 348,492 households, and a population density of 11,376.69 persons per km²...
, Japan, operating scheduled passenger services within Japan. In addition to its base at Haneda, Skymark is the dominant carrier at Kobe Airport
Kobe Airport
is an airport on an artificial island just off the coast of Kobe, south of Sannomiya Station Japan. It primarily handles domestic flights, but can also accommodate international charter flights. In the first year of operation the airport handled 2,697,000 passengers with an average load factor of...
and is also the only domestic airline operating at Ibaraki Airport north of Tokyo.
Its major shareholders are CEO Shinichi Nishikubo (35.47%) and the travel agency H.I.S.
H.I.S.
is a travel agency based in the Shinjuku Oak Tower in Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, specializing in low-cost package tours to various countries. The company was founded as International Tours Co., Ltd. in 1980 by Hideo Sawada, born in 1951, and renamed "H.I.S." in 1990.Within Japan H.I.S...
(27.62%). The airline has 1,699 employees as of June 2011.
History
Skymark Airlines was established in 1996 as an open skyOpen skies
Open skies is an international policy concept which calls for the liberalization of rules and regulations on international aviation industry most specially commercial aviation - opening a free market for the airline industry...
domestic airline after deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of the Japanese airline industry, and started operations on 19 September 1998.
Skymark acquired seven Boeing 767-200 and Boeing 767-300 widebody aircraft between 1998 and 2005. Certain 767 fuselages were painted in special "billboard" liveries advertising third party companies, including DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
, Yahoo Japan, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and USEN.
On 11 December 2003, Skymark announced that it expected a profit of 470 million yen for the half-fiscal year ending on 31 October, the first profit made since the airline began operations.
Skymark began acquiring new Boeing 737-800 narrowbody aircraft in 2005, and eventually retired the 767 from its fleet in 2009.
Skymark announced in April 2010 that it would commence "Narita Shuttle" service from Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
to Asahikawa, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa in late 2011 and early 2012.
On 8 November 2010 Skymark announced negotiations with Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
for an order of four Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
aircraft and two options
Option (finance)
In finance, an option is a derivative financial instrument that specifies a contract between two parties for a future transaction on an asset at a reference price. The buyer of the option gains the right, but not the obligation, to engage in that transaction, while the seller incurs the...
, which would make it the first Japanese airline to order the type. This order was confirmed as definite during February 2011. The airline intends to use the aircraft on a number of long-haul trunk routes out of Narita Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
, like London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
or New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Skymark intends to operate the A380s in a two-class, 394-seat configuration - with 114 seats in business class
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
and 280 in a premium economy
Premium economy
Premium economy is a travel class offered on some airlines, positioned in price, comfort, and amenities between economy class and business class. As of 2011, the term is not standardized among airlines, and varies significantly when comparing its use on domestic versus international flights or...
class. Business Class said to be equipped with angled lie-flat seats at 60" pitch and 20.7" width, while "shell-style" seats at 38" pitch and 20.5" width will be offered in Premium Economy.
In June 2011, Skymark began providing award seats through the Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
SkyMiles program.
Services
As of September 2011, Skymark Airlines operates scheduled flights to the following destinations:- AmamiAmami, Kagoshimais a city located on Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima, Japan.The city was formed on March 20, 2006 from the merger of the old city of Naze with the town of Kasari, and the village of Sumiyō, both from Ōshima District....
- Amami Airport (seasonal) - Asahikawa - Asahikawa AirportAsahikawa Airport, is a single-runway regional airport in Hokkaidō, Japan, straddling the cities of Asahikawa and Higashikagura. It is a second class airport.- Airlines and destinations :-Access:...
- FukuokaFukuokaFukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
- Fukuoka AirportFukuoka Airport, formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Japan. It is officially designated a second class airport. It is operating at full capacity, and cannot be further expanded. Flights stop at 10 p.m... - IbarakiIbarakiIbaraki may refer to any of the following places in Japan:* Ibaraki Prefecture, one of the 47 prefectures of Japan**Ibaraki, Ibaraki, a town in Ibaraki Prefecture* Ibaraki, Osaka, a city in Osaka PrefectureIt can also refer to:...
- Ibaraki Airport - Kagoshima - Kagoshima AirportKagoshima Airport-External links:* *...
- Kitakyūshū - Kitakyūshū AirportKitakyushu AirportKokura Airport , previously called until 2005, was a small airport in Kokura Minami-ku, Kitakyūshū, Japan. There used to be four flights to and from Tokyo International Airport every day. The runway was long, so large jets could not use it...
- KobeKobe, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
- Kobe AirportKobe Airportis an airport on an artificial island just off the coast of Kobe, south of Sannomiya Station Japan. It primarily handles domestic flights, but can also accommodate international charter flights. In the first year of operation the airport handled 2,697,000 passengers with an average load factor of...
Base - Kumamoto - Kumamoto AirportKumamoto Airport, also known as , is an airport in Mashiki, Kumamoto, Japan.A planned merger of municipalities will be implemented around March 31, 2010; the City of Kumamoto will be merged with the Shimomashiki District town of Jonan and Mashiki. When the merger is completed the airport will be within the City of...
- NagasakiNagasakiis the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
- Nagasaki AirportNagasaki Airportis an international airport located west of the railway station in the city of Ōmura and north northeast of the Nagasaki railway station in the city of Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan... - NahaNaha, Okinawais the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
- Naha AirportNaha Airport-Incidents:* On December 1, 1994, Ramzi Yousef planted a bomb on Philippine Airlines Flight 434, with the intent of mass murder. The bomb exploded on the Boeing 747-283B en route from Cebu to Tokyo, killing one passenger...
focus city - Sapporo - New Chitose AirportNew Chitose Airport, is an airport located south southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō....
- TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
- Haneda Airport Base
- Narita International AirportNarita International Airportis an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
Terminated destinations include Aomori
Aomori Airport
is a regional airport located south southwest of Aomori Station in Aomori, a city in the Aomori Prefecture of Japan.-History:The first Aomori Airport was opened in 1964, in the town of Namioka, with a single 1200 x 30 meter runway designed for use with the NAMC YS-11 aircraft...
, Osaka (Itami)
Osaka International Airport
or Osaka-Itami International Airport is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is classified as a first class airport....
, Osaka (Kansai)
Kansai International Airport
is an international airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, southwest of Ōsaka Station, located within three municipalities, including Izumisano , Sennan , and Tajiri , in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The airport is off the Honshu shore. The airport serves as an...
and Tokushima
Tokushima Airport
is an airport in Matsushige, Tokushima, Japan, near the city of Tokushima.In addition to scheduled passenger operations, the airport is the base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Tokusima Air Training Group of 202 Air Training Squadron equipped with Beechcraft TC-90, and UH-60J Search and...
.
Fleet
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | Premium Economy |
Economy | Total | |||
| Airbus A380-800 | ||||||
| Boeing 737-800 | 21 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 21 | 10 | ||||