Fuji Dream to Compete with ANA on Fukuoka – Niigata

Japanese domestic regional operator Fuji Dream Airlines is to end the monopoly of All Nippon Airways (ANA) on the Fukuoka – Niigata route when it launches a new daily service between the two cities during the Northern Winter schedules. The airline plans to offer a daily flight from October 30 using one of its Embrear E-Jets, competing with the daily Boeing 737 rotation currently offered by ANA.

Fuji Dream launched operations in July 2009 and has developed Fukuoka as one of its focus cities. It currently offers daily flights to Kumamoto and Matsumoto, a three times daily link to Shizuoka (although this will drop to twice daily from October) and up to five flights per day to Nagoya Komaki. Its only current head-to-head competition comes from Japan Airlines (JAL) on the Shizuoka route.

In the past year an estimated 64,000 O&D passengers travelled between Fukuoka and Niigata, a decline of 36.9 per cent on the previous 12 month period when 7A also served the route. ANA’s own share of the traffic has grown from 48,000 and a 47 per cent share of the market to 49,000 and a 77 per cent share. Its yield has also significantly improved as average one-way fares have risen from $249 to $275 increasing the routes profitability.