New Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) Heading to Sapporo

Hooray to cheap flights. With air technology becoming cheaper there are more and more low cost airlines emerging and providing low-priced flights for customers. It was only a matter of time before Hokkaido and Sapporo were added to the routes.

From mid-2012 there will be 5 low-cost airlines flying to the Hokkiado (the north island of Japan) from Tokyo or Osaka. Peach Aviation started its operation in March this year, flying from Kansai Airport in Osaka to Hokkaido, Kyushu and on a few International routes to its Asian neighbours. Taking off only a few months before Jetstar and Japan Airlines were set to launch their new joint venture, Peach was the first airline to start filling the void in the Japanese aviation market

Jetstar Japan was launched on the 3rd of July with its first flight from Narita Airport in Tokyo to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo. Jetstar Japan will fly from Tokyo to Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa with international flights on the cards for next year. Flights from Tokyo to Sapporo start from a low 4,590yen, while flights to Fukuoka start from 5,590yen. Presently, there are only 3 Airbus A320’s scheduled to make the domestic routes, but Jetstar Japan are hoping to expand the fleet to 24 aircrafts in the coming years.

Malaysia’s Air Asia is also set to initiate a new joint venture with All Nippon who are preparing to launch in August this year. Air Asia Japan will be the second LCC to use Tokyo’s Narita Airport as its origin.

With new low cost airlines emerging in Japan bringing greater competition we are set to see some great prices which is good news for most of our guests who travel from either Osaka or Tokyo to Sapporo. This means cheaper travel costs to get to the famous Niseko snow fields.

Great News isn’t it?!

Sayonara for now

~ Shaun and the Ramat Niseko Team