Vanilla Air

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This article is about the company formerly known as AirAsia Japan. For the current incarnation, see AirAsia Japan.
Vanilla Air
250px
IATA ICAO Callsign
JW VNL VANILLA
Founded 1 November 2013
Commenced operations 20 December 2013
Operating bases Narita International Airport
Alliance Value Alliance
Fleet size 8
Destinations 6
Parent company All Nippon Airways
Headquarters Narita International Airport, Narita, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Key people Tomonori Ishii (President)
Employees 469 (June 1, 2014)
Website www.vanilla-air.com/en

Vanilla Air Inc. (バニラ・エア株式会社 Banira Ea Kabushiki Kaisha?) is a low-cost airline in Japan wholly owned by All Nippon Airways. Its head office is within Terminal 2 of Narita International Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture.[1]

History

File:Vanilla air A320 03.JPG
A Vanilla Air Airbus A320 Sharklet taken in flight. (2014)
File:Vanilla Air JA8391 in LOHACO livery.jpg
A Vanilla Air Airbus A320 taxiing at New Chitose Airport, Japan. (2014)

In June 2013, AirAsia decided to exit its investment in AirAsia Japan, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary of ANA.[2] AirAsia Japan announced in August that it would continue operation under its current branding through 26 October 2013 and would then be rebranded as Vanilla Air effective 1 November 2013; Vanilla Air would start operations with two aircraft and expand to ten aircraft by fiscal year 2015, with both domestic and international routes.[3] All of AirAsia Japan's staff were to be inherited by Vanilla Air, and the airline would focus on serving resort destinations, eventually expanding to longer routes after an initial focus on short-haul routes.[4]

AirAsia Japan aircraft were to be returned to AirAsia, with Vanilla Air retaining only two aircraft at the outset. Although Vanilla Air was to continue operating from AirAsia Japan's principal base at Narita International Airport, the fleet reduction forced the abandonment of the AirAsia Japan hub at Chubu Centrair International Airport. However, Vanilla Air management stated that Chubu was the strongest candidate for a second hub.[5]

At the end of July, prior to the rebranding announcement, the Nikkei reported that the restructured AirAsia Japan operation would focus on the popular resort markets of Sapporo, Okinawa, Honolulu, Guam and Saipan;[6] a later report stated that 70% of its capacity would be international, making better use of slot restrictions at Narita Airport by operating outbound flights late at night and return flights early in the morning.[7] The expansion to 10 aircraft was intended to make the airline more competitive with Jetstar Japan, a Narita-based low-cost carrier partly owned by Japan Airlines.[8]

Vanilla Air operated its first flights from Narita to Okinawa and Taipei on 20 December 2013.[9] Vanilla Air introduced the "Vaniller's Pass," a one-month pass good for travel on its Tokyo-Amami route, in December 2014. Although aimed at surfing and diving enthusiasts in the Tokyo region, passengers used the passes for other purposes such as caring for family members.[10]

In its first years of operations, Vanilla Air faced a pilot shortage and operated at a net loss. In the fiscal year ending March 2016, amid low oil prices and a surge of inbound tourism to Japan, Vanilla Air produced its first annual operating profit, allowing it to unfreeze its expansion plans. In February 2016, it was reported that Vanilla Air would set up a second base at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport to serve destinations in Southeast Asia, making Vanilla Air the first Japanese LCC to utilize beyond rights from a third country.[11]

Corporate affairs

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. When it was known as AirAsia Japan it had its headquarters in Shiodome City Center in Minato, Tokyo.[12]

Destinations

File:JA01VA.jpg
A Vanilla Air Airbus A320. (2014)

Vanilla Air serves the following destinations (as of September 2014):[13][14]

[Base] Base
[F] Future destination
City Country IATA ICAO Airport
Tokyo Japan NRT RJAA Narita International Airport [Base]
Amami Japan ASJ RJKA Amami Airport
Okinawa Japan OKA ROAH Naha Airport
Osaka Japan KIX RJBB Kansai International Airport[15]
Sapporo Japan CTS RJCC New Chitose Airport
Taipei Taiwan TPE RCTP Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
Hong Kong Hong Kong HKG VHHH Hong Kong International Airport
Kaohsiung Taiwan KHH RCKH Kaohsiung International Airport

Vanilla Air stated in February 2015 that they would suspend Seoul service from March, and were not considering any further route expansion.[10] Prior to this announcement, Vanilla Air had announced future service to Guam and Saipan at an unspecified date and in the longer term planned to offer long-haul service to Indonesia and the Philippines.[16]

Fleet

Vanilla Air took delivery of its first A320 aircraft, JA01VA, on 14 November 2013. Its aircraft are equipped with CFM56 engines and are leased from AWAS to ANA Holdings.[17]

Aircraft In Fleet Passengers
Airbus A320-200 9 180[18]

Their 9th A320-214, JA09VA arrived in Japan on 23 April 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "Corporate Profile." (Archive) Vanilla Air. Retrieved on 19 January 2014. "Headquarters Narita International Airport 2PTB, Chiba, JAPAN" - Address in Japanese (Archive): "成田国際空港 第2旅客ターミナル内" (Narita International Airport, inside Passenger Terminal 2)
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ "ANA and AirAsia to form ‘AirAsia Japan’." (Archive) All Nippon Airways. July 21, 2011. Retrieved on November 1, 2012. "Address: 1-5-2 Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo (plan)"
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Vanilla Air Timetable
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ http://www.vanilla-air.com/en/service/fleet-and-seatmap

External links

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