Spring Airlines Starts Service from Ibaraki; 80% Seat Load Factor on Inaugural Flight “Unsatisfactory,” Says the Airline
China’s low cost carrier (LCC), Spring Airlines (9S) began a programmed charter flight on July 28 between Ibaraki and Shanghai. The airline is the China’s only one private carrier with its base in Shanghai operating 50 routes within China. Ibaraki is the airline’s first international destination. Speaking at a media briefing held later on the same day, Wang Zhenghua, Chairman of Spring Airlines, said that the inaugural flight from Shanghai and from Ibaraki registered a seat load factor of 85 percent and 80 percent respectively, adding, however, that he was “extremely disappointed” about the load factors. Citing that a high seat load factor is definitely a key to low cost flight operations and Spring Airlines averages its seat load factor at approximately 95 percent on its domestic flights, Chairman stated that the airline strives to realize the same high seat load factor on its new Japan route.
With regards to airfares, he said that Spring Airlines offers an average of 30 percent to 40 percent cheaper fares on the domestic routes than its rival airlines. The airline plans to launch “budget airfares” also in the Japan market. Presently, the seats from Japan are all sold via travel agencies, but may also be sold on the airline’s website targeting the individual customers. The lowest one-way fare will be sold at 4,000 yen, followed by 8,000, 16,000 and 20,000 yen, said the airline. The lowest-priced air ticket of 4,000 yen will be limited to 10 percent of the total salable seats during the high season and 15 to 20 percent during the low season. However, Wang mentioned that Spring Airlines will not start individual ticket sales until it can streamline all flight operations to and from Ibaraki Airport. Part of its flight plans are currently requested to be routed via Narita Airport. It will be too confusing for customers unless one and the same flight number is assigned to one and the same airport, maintained Chairman Wang.
It would be preferable if the passenger mix of Japanese and Chinese is kept at 50 percent, he said. Spring Airlines considers employing Japanese pilots and Japanese speaking cabin crew. Also, it is just about to launch its website in Japanese and, in the future, anticipates opening an Ibaraki branch office of Shanghai Spring International Travel Services, the airline’s parent company. At the same time, the airline demonstrated its positive stance in planning scheduled flight operations between Ibaraki and Shanghai and increase of flight frequency and in expanding its route network including new services to other Chinese cities from Ibaraki and new destinations in addition to Ibaraki.
Meanwhile, speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Masaru Hashimoto, Governor of Ibaraki Prefectural Government, said, “In spite of various public comments Ibaraki Airport has received, it should be definitely an airport requisite for Japan.” “I believe that Spring Airlines has chosen Ibaraki as its very first overseas destination simply because it has appreciated the service features that Ibaraki Airport provides to operators.” In Asia as well, low cost carriers (LCC) will be rapidly growing and expanding their market share, said Governor, adding that Spring Airlines’ successful flight operations should pave the way for other LCCs to follow and take root throughout the Japanese travel market.
Source: Travel Vision
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China’s low cost carrier (LCC), Spring Airlines (9S), unveiled its new service to Ibaraki Airport. The airline plans to operate program charter flights between Ibaraki Airport and Shanghai’s Pu Dong Airport for the period of two months starting from the end of July this year and thereafter it aims to serve the route as a scheduled carrier. Aircraft to be put into service will be 180-seater Airbus A320. The airline initially plans to operate approximately three flights per week with the final flight schedule subject to coordination with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Ministry of Defense and JASDF Hyakuri Air Base.
HIS operated charter flights successfully from Ibaraki Airport during the Golden Week spring holidays on May 1 and 2. Specifically, seven charter flights were planned and operated with a nearly full load on every flight. Both China’s Hainan Island and Guam saw two charter flights from Ibaraki Airport. Cebu Island, Taipei and Shanghai saw one charter flight respectively from Ibaraki. The charters to Hainan Island and Cebu Island, which were launched earlier and also introduced at the “First Dream Fair”, were quickly booked up to nearly full capacity. As HIS provided bus transfers to Ibaraki Airport from the Tokyo metropolitan area including Shinjuku and Yokohama, the charter flights attracted many customers from the Tokyo metropolitan area as well as the local inhabitants of Ibaraki Prefecture. According to HIS’ corporate planning division, it plans charter flights also for the coming summer with schedules being now finalized, considering various travel conditions including good calendar days.
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