2015.10.21
Domestic airlines serving Okinawa increase passengers
Five major domestic airline companies, JAL, ANA, JTA, RAC, and Skymark that fly routes to and from Okinawa, and within the prefecture, announced their customer numbers for a period from April to September in 2015.
Compared to the same period a year ago, the number of passengers increased 1.2 % to 7,763,851 people. Passenger numbers increased steadily on the main route between Naha and Haneda. In addition, routes between Naha and Miyako, and Naha and Ishigaki became more popular and the number of passengers on these routes exceeded the numbers of last year.
Passengers on JAL, the Japan Airlines, decreased 3.9 % to 1,584,087. JAL officials say the reason for the decline is that the number of seats on a relief line between Naha and Itami in Osaka was cut back.
ANA, the All Nippon Airways, saw an increase of 5.3 % to 3,843,388 passengers because the company increased the number of seats in its midnight Galaxy Flight between Haneda and Hana.
The number of passengers between Naha and Miyako, and Naha and Ishigaki exceeded the last year. JTA, the Japan Transocean Air, increased its passenger count by 0.3 % to 1,470,277, and RAC, the Ryukyu Air Commuter that operates flights between Naha and small outer islands, increased it passengers 3.2 % to 226,050 people, which also exceeds the number in the same period of the previous year. As for the reason, the airline cites the use of people related to the construction industry increased.
Skymark Airlines that currently operates under bankruptcy protection had a decrease od 5.9 % to 640,049 passengers as it was forced to cut several routes in order to save money.