Skymark Airlines Becomes Japan’s First A330 Operator

Skymark Airlines has taken delivery of the first two new Airbus A330-300s out of a total of 10 on lease.

Japan’s third largest airline, Skymark Airlines becomes the first Japanese carrier to operate the Airbus A330 widebody.

Skymark Airlines’ A330s are configured in a high-comfort, all ‘Green Seat’ cabin with 271 seats

Skymark Airlines’ A330s, configured in a high-comfort, all ‘Green Seat’ cabin with 271 seats, will start scheduled flights in April from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Fukuoka. Skymark Airlines has also announced plans for A330-300 services from Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo and Naha at a later date.

“We are confident that with these cost-efficient, reliable A330-300s in our fleet, we will grow our business and win market share by attracting passengers who demand only the highest levels of comfort,” says Shinichi Nishikubo, president of Skymark Airlines.

“Together with our A380s to come, we confirm Skymark’s intention to remain at the forefront of our market, having one of Japan’s youngest, most modern fuel-efficient fleets,” adds Nishikubo.

The Airbus A330-300 received a Validation Type Certificate (VTC) from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in January.

On February 28, 2014, Skymark Airlines became the first Japanese carrier to operate the Airbus A330, taking delivery of the first two of 10 new A330-300s it had agreed to lease. Skymark intended initially to operate its A330s on domestic routes, to destinations such as Fukuoka, Sapporo and Naha on the island of Okinawa

Skymark Airlines signed a Flight Hour Services (FHS) components contract with Airbus covering support for all of 10 leased A330 jets.  Airbus Customer Services will provide spare parts availability guaranteed through an extensive scope of more than 700 line replaceable units. Skymark Airlines’ A330s are all to be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.

Airbus claims its widebody jets have outsold the Boeing competition by two to one over the last five years in the Asian market; and that more than half of the widebodies to be delivered in the future to Asian carriers are Airbus aircraft.

However, the recent launch of the Boeing 777-9X and 777-8X program could help redress the balance for Boeing. Cathay Pacific Airways has been the only Asian carrier to order new Boeing 777X jets so far, but many Asian carriers already operate the preceding-generation Boeing 777-300ER and 777-200ER and may wish to renew their fleets with 777X jets in the future.

The Airbus A330 family spans 250 to 300 seats, and includes Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants. The A30 family has now attracted orders for more than 1,300 aircraft, and more than 1,000 A330s are now flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.