JW VNL Commenced operations 20 December 2013 Destinations 10 Number of employees 469 (June 1, 2014) Date of operation 20 December 2013 | VNL VANILLA Fleet size 11 Alliance Value Alliance Founded 1 November 2013 Parent organization All Nippon Airways | |
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Operating bases Headquarters Narita International Airport, Chiba Prefecture, Japan | ||
Vanilla air flight report tokyo sapporo
Vanilla Air Inc. (バニラ・エア株式会社, Banira Ea Kabushiki Kaisha) is a low-cost airline in Japan wholly owned by All Nippon Airways. Its head office is within Terminal 2 of Narita International Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture.
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Flight report vanilla air from taoyuan taipei to ho chi minh city
History
In June 2013, AirAsia announced to exit its investment in AirAsia Japan, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary of ANA. AirAsia Japan announced in August that it would continue operation under its current branding through 26 October 2013 and would then be rebranded as Vanilla Air effective 1 November 2013; Vanilla Air would start operations with two aircraft and expand to ten aircraft by fiscal year 2015, with both domestic and international routes. All of AirAsia Japan's staff were to be inherited by Vanilla Air, and the airline would focus on serving resort destinations, eventually expanding to longer routes after an initial focus on short-haul routes.
AirAsia Japan aircraft were to be returned to AirAsia, with Vanilla Air retaining only two aircraft at the outset. Although Vanilla Air was to continue operating from AirAsia Japan's principal base at Narita International Airport, the fleet reduction forced the abandonment of the AirAsia Japan hub at Chubu Centrair International Airport. However, Vanilla Air management stated that Chubu was the strongest candidate for a second hub.
At the end of July, prior to the rebranding announcement, the Nikkei reported that the restructured AirAsia Japan operation would focus on the popular resort markets of Sapporo, Okinawa, Honolulu, Guam and Saipan; a later report stated that 70% of its capacity would be international, making better use of slot restrictions at Narita Airport by operating outbound flights late at night and return flights early in the morning. The expansion to 10 aircraft was intended to make the airline more competitive with Jetstar Japan, a Narita-based low-cost carrier partly owned by Japan Airlines.
Vanilla Air operated its first flights from Narita to Okinawa and Taipei on 20 December 2013. Vanilla Air introduced the "Vaniller's Pass," a one-month pass good for travel on its Tokyo-Amami route, in December 2014. Although aimed at surfing and diving enthusiasts in the Tokyo region, passengers used the passes for other purposes such as caring for family members.
In its first years of operations, Vanilla Air faced a pilot shortage and operated at a net loss. In the fiscal year ending March 2016, amid low oil prices and a surge of inbound tourism to Japan, Vanilla Air produced its first annual operating profit, allowing it to unfreeze its expansion plans. In February 2016, it was reported that Vanilla Air would set up a second base at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport to serve destinations in Southeast Asia, making Vanilla Air the first Japanese LCC to utilize beyond rights from a third country.
Corporate affairs
When it was known as AirAsia Japan it had its headquarters in Shiodome City Center in Minato, Tokyo.
Destinations
Vanilla Air serves the following destinations (as of July 2016):
Vanilla Air stated in February 2015 that they would suspend Seoul service from March, and were not considering any further route expansion. Prior to this announcement, Vanilla Air had announced future service to Guam and Saipan at an unspecified date and in the longer term planned to offer long-haul service to Indonesia and the Philippines.
Fleet
Vanilla Air took delivery of its first A320 aircraft, JA01VA, on 14 November 2013. Its aircraft are equipped with CFM56 engines and are leased from AWAS to ANA Holdings. The Vanilla Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of February 2017):