Will Fly Between Small Islands And Communities In The Country

Japan Air Commuter Co. Ltd. (JAC) has performed its first ATR 42-600 revenue flight. JAC’s flight 3741 departed from Kagoshima at 8:50 am (local time) for a 40-minute flight to Yakushima. The aircraft then performed three flights, from Yakushima to Kagoshima, from Kagoshima to Okinoerabu, and back to Kagoshima.

A subsidiary of Japan Airlines, the national flag carrier, JAC therefore becomes a new ATR operator. The entry into service of JAC’s first ATR is a major milestone for ATR, for which Japan is a key market.

Japan is preparing for a huge influx of tourists. Its government hopes to welcome 40 million visitors by 2020. In addition to hosting major events such as the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympic Games in 2020, Japan is promoting the natural beauty and cultural heritage of its regions.

Prior to the official petitioning for the UNESCO World Natural Heritage in 2018, the Amami islands have been designated as a national park as recently as March. A successful designation as a world natural heritage will boost the tourism potential of the region, as the already famed Yakushima is located in the neighbouring area.  These Natural Heritage candidate islands will all be served by ATRs to ensure connectivity for a growing number of foreign tourists. As 35% of Japanese domestic routes are below 300 nm, ATRs are optimally suited to further develop regional connectivity.

The brand-new ATRs will be operating on connections from and to small islands and communities across the country.

(Image provided with ATR news release)

FMI: www.atr-aircraft.com