Solaseed Air

Solaseed Air Inc. (株式会社ソラシド・エア, Kabushiki-gaisha Sorashido Ea) is a Japanese regional airline headquartered on the property of Miyazaki Airport in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. It operates services mainly between Tokyo and destinations on the island of Kyushu.

Solaseed Air
ソラシド・エア
Sorashido Ea
IATA ICAO Callsign
6J SNJ NEWSKY
Founded3 July 1997 (1997-07-03)
(as Pan Asia Airlines)[1]
Commenced operations
  • July 2002 (2002-07)
    (as Skynet Asia Airways)
  • 1 July 2011 (2011-07-01)
    (as Solaseed Air)
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programSolaseed Smile Club
Fleet size14
Destinations11
Parent companyRegionalPlus Wings Corp.
HeadquartersMiyazaki Airport, Miyazaki, Japan
Key peopleKosuke Takahashi (CEO)[2]
Websitewww.solaseedair.jp

History
A Skynet Asia Airways Boeing 737-400 taking off from Haneda Airport, Tokyo (2007)

The airline was established as "Pan Asia Airlines" in 1997 as the fourth airline established in a deregulated Japanese market. In August 1998, the airline's corporate name was changed to "Skynet Asia Airways Co., Ltd." before operations commenced in July 2002. The airline rebranded as "Solaseed Air" in July 2011,[3] and the change of its legal corporate name to "Solaseed Air Inc." followed in December 2015.[4]

In May 2021, Solaseed Air and Air Do announced their intentions to merge as a result of operating difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new holding company for both airlines, RegionalPlus Wings, was officially established on October 3, 2022.[5]

Corporate affairs
Miyazaki Airport, the location of the headquarters

Solaseed Air's head office is on the second floor of the Miyazaki Airport Building (宮崎空港ビル, Miyazaki Kūkō Biru) in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.[1] Its headquarters previously occupied different facilities in Miyazaki City,[6] including the SNA Center (SNAセンター SNA Sentā) in the Again Building (アゲインビル, Agein Biru) in Miyazaki.[7]

Destinations

As of May 2021, Solaseed Air operates or has operated scheduled services to the following destinations in Japan:[8][1][9]

Region City Airport Notes Refs
HonshuKobeKobe Airport
NagoyaChubu Centrair International Airport[10]
TokyoHaneda AirportBase
KyushuFukuokaFukuoka Airport[11]
KagoshimaKagoshima Airport
KumamotoKumamoto Airport
MiyazakiMiyazaki Airport
NagasakiNagasaki Airport
Ryukyu IslandsIshigakiNew Ishigaki Airport
NahaNaha AirportBase

Codeshare agreements

Solaseed Air has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[12]

Interline agreements

In addition to the aforementioned codeshare partners, Solaseed Air has interlining agreements with the following airlines:[12]

Fleet

Current fleet
A Solaseed Air Boeing 737-800 at Haneda Airport, Tokyo (2012)

As of May 2021, the Solaseed Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:[13][14]

Solaseed Air fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Boeing 737-800 13 — 174
1 176 Leased from All Nippon Airways
Total 14 —

Historical fleet
A former Solaseed Air Boeing 737-400 departing from Haneda Airport, Tokyo (2012)

In September 2014, Solaseed Air retired its last remaining Boeing 737-400 aircraft after previously operating a total of ten 737-400s. The airline has since exclusively operated a fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft.[15]

Special liveries

In December 2020, the airline repainted one of its Boeing 737-800 registered (JA812X) in a Pokémon themed livery featuring Exeggutor as part of a tourism collaboration with Miyazaki City and The Pokémon Company, during which Exeggutor became Miyazaki's mascot in the collaboration. The aircraft's maiden flight under the promotional livery traveled from Miyazaki to Tokyo. The livery was removed in September 2022.[16][17]

In March 2023, the airline reintroduced the Pokémon themed livery featuring Exeggutor again on another Boeing 737-800 registered (JA803X). The livery is expected to stay with the aircraft for three years.[18]

Cabin and services

Solaseed Air's Boeing 737-800 aircraft are configured with 174 or 176 economy class seats, with a standard pitch of 32 inches (81 cm).[19][1] Refreshment services, amenities, and services for families with small children are provided complimentary.

Frequent-flyer program

Solaseed Air's frequent-flyer program is Solaseed Smile Club. Passengers can accrue mileage under the program based on both the fare and route length of Solaseed Air flights.[20]

References
  1. "About Us". Solaseed Air. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  2. "会社概要" [Company Profile]. Solaseed Air (in Japanese). 1 June 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  3. "Skynet to Change Name to Solaseed Air". Fukuoka Now. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  4. "Japan's Solaseed Air to change corporate name during 4Q". ch-aviation. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  5. "Japan's Airdo, Solaseed Air merge as travel demand hit by pandemic". Kyodo News. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  6. "会社概要" [Company Profile]. SkyNet Asia (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 April 2004. Retrieved 26 January 2014. ■本社 〒 880-0912 宮崎市大字赤江字飛江田 148
  7. "会社概要／会社案内" [Corporate Profile]. SkyNet Asia (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2014. ■本社・SNAセンター 〒 880-0805 宮崎市橘通東 3-1-11　アゲインビル1F
  8. "Timetable". Solaseed Air. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  9. "About Solaseed Air". Solaseed Air.
  10. Liu, Jim (24 January 2020). "Solaseed Air expands Miyazaki service in S20". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  11. Liu, Jim (11 February 2020). "Solaseed Air adds Okinawa – Fukuoka service from late-March 2020". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  12. "Check-in Procedures". Solaseed Air. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  13. "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 18.
  14. "Solaseed Air Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  15. "Japan's Solaseed Air retires last B737-400 from fleet". ch-aviation. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  16. "Pokémon makes appearance on Solaseed aircraft". Arab News Japan. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  17. Marcus, Lilit (28 December 2020). "Pokémon plane takes off in Japan". CNN. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  18. "New Pokémon Jet: Japan's Solaseed Reveals Exeggutor-Themed Livery". Simple Flying. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  19. "Our Aircraft". Solaseed Air. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  20. "ソラシド スマイルクラブ" [Solaseed Smile Club]. Solaseed Air (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 September 2020.

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