Japan Transocean Air

"Southwest Air Lines" redirects here. For the United States airline, see Southwest Airlines. For other uses, see Southwest Airlines (disambiguation).
Japan Transocean Air
IATA
NU		 ICAO
JTA		 Callsign
JAY OCEAN
Founded June 20, 1967
(as Southwest Air Lines)
Hubs Naha Airport
Focus cities Ishigaki Airport
Fleet size 13
Destinations 15
Parent company Japan Transocean Air Co., Ltd.
Headquarters Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Key people Takeshi Ichinosawa (Chairman/President)
Website www.jal.co.jp/jta
Japan Transocean Air headquarters

Japan Transocean Air Co., Ltd. (日本トランスオーシャン航空株式会社 Nippon Toransuōshan Kōkū Kabushiki-gaisha), or JTA, is an airline based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.[1] It operates domestic services. Its main base is Naha Airport.[2] From 1967 until 1993, the airline was known as Southwest Air Lines.

History

A Southwest Air Lines Boeing 737-200.
A JTA Boeing 737-400 in former Southwest Air Lines livery at Chūbu Centrair International Airport, Nagoya, Japan. (2013)

The airline was established on 20 June 1967 as Southwest Air Lines (南西航空 Nansei Kōkū), and started operations in July 1967. It changed its name in July 1993. It has 754 employees (at March 2007) and is owned by Japan Airlines (51.1%), Naha Airport Terminal (17%), Okinawa Prefecture (12.9%) and others (19.1%)[2]

It flew Convair 240s until new capital from JAL allowed it to upgrade to NAMC YS-11s, and eventually Boeing 737s. JTA occasionally lends aircraft to JAL in the event of equipment failure. JTA also provides maintenance services for JAL Group Boeing 737-400 aircraft. JTA owns 72.9% of Ryukyu Air Commuter.

Corporate affairs

At one time the head office of Southwest Air Lines was at 306-1 Kagamizu in Naha.[3]

Destinations

A Japan Transocean Air Boeing 737-400.
A Japan Transocean Air Boeing 737-400 in a special livery.

[4]

Honshū
Kyūshū
Ryukyu Islands
Shikoku

Former destinations

Fleet

Japan Transocean Air Boeing 737-429

The Japan Transocean Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of June 2014):[6]

Japan Transocean Air fleet
Aircraft In Fleet Orders Passengers
(Economy)		 Notes
Boeing 737-400 13 0 150 To be phased out by 2016 and replaced by Boeing 737-800[7]
Boeing 737-800 0 15[8] TBA Deliveries starts in late 2015.[7]
Total 13 15

Previously operated

Accidents and incidents

Since the airlines foundation there has only been one accident and that was under the former Southwest Air Lines brand.

References

  1. ↑ "Company Profile" (Japanese). Japan Transocean Air. Retrieved on May 19, 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 97.
  3. ↑ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 10 April 1976. p. 958. "Head Office: 306-1 Kagamizu, Naha, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, Japan."
  4. ↑ "Route Network," Japan Transocean Air
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Shimojijima Airport," Okinawa Prefecture
  6. ↑ 日本トランスオーシャン航空 機材情報. Churashima.net. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.newairplane.com/737ng/customerHighlights/jal/
  8. ↑ "Japan Transocean finalizes order for 12 737-800s". The Boeing Company.
  9. ↑ "," Airliners.net
  10. ↑ "," Airliners.net
  11. ↑ Southwest Air Lines Flight 611 - ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2Q3 JA8444 Ishigaki Airport (ISG)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Japan Transocean Air.