AirAsia-ANA win approval for budget carrier in Japan

A press conference for low-cost airline AirAsia Japan.– AFP pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Southeast Asia's largest budget carrier AirAsia Friday said its joint venture entity AirAsia Japan has won approval from Japanese authorities to begin commercial flights.

Malaysia's AirAsia and Japan's All Nippon Airways last year announced they had formed a joint venture to establish a low-cost airline that will be based in Tokyo.

AirAsia said it expects to launch commercial flights to international and domestic destinations in August.

“The Company targets this joint venture to begin operations at the latest August 2012 but could be earlier subject to aircraft availability,” it said in a statement.

AirAsia said it secured the air operators certificate, allowing it to operate commercial flights from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau on February 1.

AirAsia Japan will be the first low-cost carrier out of the capital's Narita International Airport.

ANA will hold a 67 per cent stake in the AirAsia Japan venture in terms of voting rights, with AirAsia holding the remainder.

AirAsia Japan is expected to serve the Japanese domestic market from Narita airport as well as South Korea and Taiwan

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