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Solaseed Air

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Solaseed Air
ソラシド・エア
Sorashido Ea
IATA ICAO Call sign
6J SNJ NEWSKY
FoundedJuly 3, 1997; 27 years ago (1997-07-03)
(as Pan Asia Airlines)[1]
Commenced operations
  • July 2002; 22 years ago (2002-07)
    (as Skynet Asia Airways)
  • July 1, 2011; 13 years ago (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

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.

History

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A Skynet Asia Airways Boeing 737-400 (2010).

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

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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

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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
Honshu Kobe Kobe Airport
Nagoya Chubu Centrair International Airport [10]
Tokyo Haneda Airport Base
Kyushu Fukuoka Fukuoka Airport [11]
Kagoshima Kagoshima Airport
Kumamoto Kumamoto Airport
Miyazaki Miyazaki Airport
Nagasaki Nagasaki Airport
Ryukyu Islands Ishigaki New Ishigaki Airport
Naha Naha Airport Base

Codeshare agreements

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

Interline agreements

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

Fleet

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Current fleet

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Solaseed Air Boeing 737-800

As of February 2024, the Solaseed Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:[13]

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

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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.[14]

Special liveries

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In December 2020, the airline repainted one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft, 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.[15][16]

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.[17]

Cabin and services

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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).[18][1] Refreshment services, amenities, and services for families with small children are provided complimentary.

Frequent-flyer program

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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.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "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. ^ a b "Check-in Procedures". Solaseed Air. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Solaseed Air Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Japan's Solaseed Air retires last B737-400 from fleet". ch-aviation. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Pokémon makes appearance on Solaseed aircraft". Arab News Japan. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  16. ^ Marcus, Lilit (28 December 2020). "Pokémon plane takes off in Japan". CNN. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Exeggutor airplanes taking off from Solaseed Air in Miyazaki Prefecture, other Pokémon tag along". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  18. ^ "Our Aircraft". Solaseed Air. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  19. ^ "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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Media related to Solaseed Air at Wikimedia Commons

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