Skymark to Launch Flights to Europe with A380

Independent Japanese carrier Skymark Airlines has placed a firm order for four Airbus A380s, firming a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed in November last year. The airline says it will use them on “major international long-haul routes from Tokyo” but has not yet publicly revealed its operational plans for them.

“We believe that the A380, the world’s most cost-efficient, modern and environmentally friendly aircraft with cutting-edge technologies, will provide us with a strong competitive advantage and safe operation,” said Shinichi Nishikubo, President, Skymark Airlines. “We will become the very first Japanese airline to offer our passengers a unique and new experience of flying – more space, more comfort and a quieter cabin. With the four-engined A380, we are free from ETOPS constraints and can provide flexible operations.”

The confirmation of the order is a major breakthrough for Airbus in the Japanese long-haul market. It has been courting All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines for years, but to date has never placed any widebodied airliners with either carrier. "We've been frustrated with the situation in Japan," said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer – Customers, Airbus, during an interview following the order announcement. "Both JAL and ANA are very traditional, and don't necessarily support competition. They've always bought Boeing planes and don't see any reason not to continue. But to the degree that the market opens up and independent operators begin putting risk-capital at work in Japan, you'll see them having free and open competition."

Skymark will take delivery of the first of these aircraft in 2014 and a senior executive highlighted London as its likely first destination from November 2014. As additional aircraft arrive the airline he noted Paris as a future destination and from 2017 onwards, New York or Paris. These are all congested markets already served by airlines in Japan and international competitors.

Source: Flightbase (February 21-27, 2011)

Every year around 470,000 O&D passengers travel between Tokyo and London, a route already served by Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, as well as UK national operators British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways. Together they offer 33 weekly flights offering 10,503 seats.

Source: Flightbase (February 21-27, 2011)

Every year around 665,000 O&D passengers travel between Tokyo and Paris, a route already served by Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, as well as French national carrier Air France. Together they offer 35 weekly flights offering 13,278 seats, with Air France dominating traffic between the two cities.

Source: Flightbase (February 21-27, 2011)

Every year around 280,000 O&D passengers travel between Tokyo and Frankfurt, a route already served by Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, as well as German national carrier Lufthansa. Together they offer 21 weekly flights offering 7,364 seats.

Source: Flightbase (February 21-27, 2011)

Every year around 550,000 O&D passengers travel between Tokyo and New York, a route already served by Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, as well as US operators American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Together they offer 43 weekly flights offering 15, 136 seats.

Skymark will face more intense competition before it launches its own proposed long-haul services in 2014. In the past week alone oneworld alliance partners American Airlines and British Airways have both inaugurated long-haul flights from Haneda. American is offering a daily link to New York JFK, complementing Japan Airlines' established service between Haneda and San Francisco. Meanwhile, British Airways is operating Haneda's only route to the UK, serving the airport an initial five times a week non-stop from its London Heathrow hub, in addition to its established daily Tokyo Narita schedule. And, other airlines are set to follow.

The Japanese airline is planning a major change in direction for its proposed long-haul expansion. It has established itself in the local market by offering low-cost flights and on high frequency services using a fleet of Boeing 737-800s. It currently has more than 1,000 weekly flights within Japan with just under 60 per cent of its traffic originating or ending in Tokyo Haneda, providing what could be excellent feed to its long-haul routes. But, Skymark is not planning to offer a low-cost service with the A380s, with sources close to the carrier suggesting to The HUB that its aircraft may seat less than 400 passengers, making it the most spacious layout currently planned by any A380 customer. The airline is apparently looking at offering just a two-class product to differentiate itself from the competition with a 170-seat Business Class cabin offering lie-flat seats with a 60in (152cm) pitch and a 224-seat Premium Economy section offering a 38in (96.5cm) pitch. It is believed that Skymark will to offer its Premium Economy product at prices competitive with the Economy fares being offered by its local and European rivals.

Source: Flightbase (February 14-20, 2011) and The HUB research

This year Korean Air will become the sixth operator of the A380, introducing the type onto its schedules from Seoul Incheon to Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong in June. After delivery of additional aircraft, the type will be introduced on a daily Bangkok schedule from July, on some New York JFK rotations from August (before increasing to daily from September) and a daily Los Angeles link from October. Korean Air will be configuring its aircraft in a 407-seat, three class arrangement - the lowest capacity among current operators - with an all-Business Class offering on the upper deck.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Air France will become the second A380 customer to configure some of its aircraft in a four class arrangement, with an added Premium Economy cabin. The airline has released a computer generated image displaying the configuration change on its website to highlight its proposed use of the A380 on routes to Montreal from April 22 and Washington DC from June 6. It is understood that the airline will use two brand new aircraft to serve these destinations and these are currently being prepared for delivery with the new cabin, which will feature a 38 Premium Voyageur (Premium Economy) seats on the upper deck. The change in arrangement will reduce the aircraft’s total seating from 538 to 507 seats. Qantas is the only other airline to offer a four-class service on the A380, although from 2012 all new A380 due for delivery will be configured in a three-class arrangement with the removal of First Class cabins.