TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Jetstar Asia Airways (3K), Jetstar Airways’ Group airline, will introduce a new service from Osaka’s Kansai to Taipei and onto Singapore from July 5. Jetstar Asia is a low cost carrier (LCC) operating out of Singapore since December 2004, serving 19 cities in Asia including Hong Kong, Taipei and Phuket in Thailand. Speaking at a press interview held on April 22 at Kansai International Airport, Masaru Kataoka, Regional General Manager, Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Asia Airways mentioned, “Jetstar Asia currently operates more than 350 flights per week in Southeast Asia and is rapidly expanding its network as well as the capacity. The airline strives to tap new markets and stimulate travel demand with its budget prices as its sales advantage, by offering, for instance, one way fares from Kansai to Taipei from 6,000 yen.

Jetstar Asia started the Singapore/Taipei route in December 2004. By extending the route onto Kansai, the airline will daily operate the Kansai/Taipei/Singapore route. Aircraft to be put into service is Airbus A320 configured with 180 Economy class seats. Jetstar Asia plans to offer one way tickets to Taipei from Kansai from 6,000 yen up to 12,000 yen and to Singapore from Kansai from 14,000 yen up to 28,000 yen.

Jetstar Asia will be the first LCC linking Kansai with Taipei. Also speaking at the press interview, Shinichi Fukushima, President & CEO at Kansai International Airport Co., Ltd (KIAC), said that he has high expectation of the airline’s new service to Kansai, citing that while Kansai International Airport had seen 34 weekly flights to Singapore at its peak during 2001, it has now only seven flights per week. Jetstar Asia is an extremely vigorous airline, continued Fukushima and said that he is hopeful that the airline will attract new customers. With the LCC newly operating out of Kansai in July, a new type of travel market should be stimulated, commented Fukushima, adding that he welcomes the Jetstar Asia’s new service from Kansai also in terms of boosting visitor arrivals from Singapore and Taiwan.

An LCC (Low Cost Carrier), in general, launches a special fare campaign to mark a new service. Asked about the campaign fare, Kataoka declined to mention the details as not yet finalized. On its website, however, Jetstar Asia has already released special package tours. A package tour to Taipei, for instance, is available on the website from 36,300 yen per person sharing a double room at a 3-star hotel, Taipei Just Sleep, for a stay of three nights.

(Interview: Mami Miyata)

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

Japan finally will see the arrival of a true low-cost carrier happening. Malaysian’s budget carrier AirAsia Group has said that it plans to launch its first flights serving Japan by the end of the year. The flight will be operated by AirAsia X, the long-distance arm of AirAsia, to serve between Kuala Lumpur’s new Low-Cost Terminal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital and Tokyo Haneda Airport, at a frequency of 3 flights weekly. It hopes to increase the frequency making it a daily service. The Japanese government has already allotted landing and takeoff slots to AirAsia X at Haneda airport, soon to open its International terminal building end of the year.

The aircraft type will be an Airbus A330 aircraft, a mid-size fleet with good fuel efficiency, and commonly used among low-cost carriers. Airfare can go as low as 14,000yen one-way with introductory airfare planning at 2500yen to catch the eyes of the discerning Japanese travellers. In addition, AirAsia will not implement the fuel surcharge to appeal to its customers. Japanese are usually weary of low priced goods and are doubtful if the service offered will be up to the basic. However, for many who has travelled with AirAsia before would know that even as an LCC it is comparable to some full-fledge carriers, and could even fair better in service standards. It has won numerous service awards and received accolades from key travel industries worldwide. AirAsia saw its passenger traffic jump year on year, even overtook asia’s powerhouse, Singapore Airlines, to become the biggest carrier in Southeast Asia.

Just like any other low-cost carriers, complimentary meal service will not be served and meals and beverages will be sold instead. Fees will be charged for bringing any extra luggage exceeding the 7kg allowance for carry-on. And stripping its costs to the bare minimum, reservations can only be made online and thus credit card is required to make a purchase. As such there won’t be phone booking available as it will inflate the running costs.

AirAsia is also planning to introduce flights to New Chitose Airport(CTS) in Sapporo, Kansai International Airport(KIX) in Osaka and Fukuoka International Airport(FUK). Unfortunately, it has left out the newly opened Ibaraki Airport, only opened last month and is trying hard to win airlines to using its airport.

Meanwhile, AirAsia X is also tipped to receive the rights to fly to Seoul and other cities soon. It will officially start flying to Mumbai in May and New Delhi in August.

Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) formulated its medium term business plan for the fiscal year 2010-2012. With the current corporate business plan, NAA has realized an expansion of the take-off and landing slots and the improvement of public traffic accessibility from city center. NAA now aims to address a role of an international hub airport for Tokyo metropolitan area and East Asia, while responding to the severe environment that the airline industry is continuously facing and the ongoing changes in the government’s aviation policy. In terms of the number of take-off and landing slots, in particular, NAA plans for the further expansion up to 300,000 on the premise that it wins the understanding of the local community. NAA has meanwhile set its highest company objective on the slot expansion up to 270,000 by the fiscal year 2012. At the same time, it also endeavors to attract charter flights and shorten the existing night curfew and, in addition, to be ready for the handling of low cost carriers (LCC) and business jets.

However, since many uncertainties remain regarding the demand forecasting including the current unfavorable economic environment and the ongoing JAL’s restructuring plan, NAA estimates the number of aircraft movements to be 216,000 with the total number of passengers expected at 34.5 million for the fiscal year 2012. It is a modest traffic projection compared to the original target of 270,000 aircraft movements, but NAA said that it is based on a solid estimation, although NAA still believes that both passenger numbers and take-off and landing slots should eventually increase, considering the favorable changes in aviation environment in the Asian region and downsizing of aircraft.

Specific steps to be taken by NAA include construction of a taxiway on the west side of the runway B and an apron in Yokobori district in a drive to increase aircraft movements eventually up to 270,000. NAA also intends to strengthen its airport promotion marketing system including effective use of slots available during off-hour traffic by attracting charter flights in order to enhance the network from Narita. It aims to beef up domestic feeder flights as well.

As part of further improvement of the passenger-friendly services, NAA will start a dialogue with LCCs and other parties to consider building facilities for their exclusive-use and introducing an incentive scheme as well in order to flexibly and effectively accommodate the diversity of demands by LCCs and business jets. NAA also intends to address the issue of its MCT (minimum connecting time).

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.