The Japanese airline once ordered an Airbus A380, but had to file for bankruptcy. Seven years later, Skymark is again considering expansion.
On February 17, 2011, Skymark signed a weighty contract. The Japanese airline ordered four Airbus A380s. A few months later she increased the order to six copies. With the She wanted to fly superjumbos to Europe and the USA.
It was no longer delivered. Skymark Airlines ran into financial difficulties shortly after the order was placed and had to Filed for bankruptcy in 2015. The financial investor Integral Corporation and ANA All Nippon Airways stepped in and saved the airline from going under with fresh capital. The two are also the largest shareholders today with 50.1 and 16.5 percent.
Reached the limits of growth
As a result, Skymark scaled back its ambitions. In the process, it has downsized its fleet, phasing out its seven Airbus A330s that were once in service at domestic circuits. Today it owns 29 Boeing 737-800s, operating 23 routes in Japan.
But that’s not enough for Skymark anymore. “We are currently working at full capacity with our 29 aircraft, so it is currently difficult to open new routes,” said CEO Hayao Hora to the newspaper these days Hokkaido Shimbun. One sees potential at the hub in Tokyo-Haneda, but also in Fukuoka, Hokkaido and Kobe.
The best of both worlds
The aim is to renew the fleet by 2025. “We are also considering the possibility of using larger aircraft than we have now,” Hora said. However, the manager did not become more specific.
You don’t want to be a low-cost airline, but you don’t want to be a classic provider either, Hora explained the strategy. You want to combine the best of both worlds.