Japan’s first airline of substance is founded by Choichi Inouye at Sakai City, near Osaka, on June 4, 1922. With capitalization of ? 500,000 provided by the Itoh Flying School and interested investors, the new concern purchases 10 ex-Imperial Navy Yokosho (Aichi) AB-4 floatplanes. On November 15, the company inaugurates the nation’s first regular air service from Sakai City to the Shikoku island community of Tokushima, by way of Wakayama on Honshu. The fare is ? 5 one-way. The Japanese government, wishing a successful experiment, commits to an ? 8,000 annual subsidy.
During the spring of 1923, a weekly roundtrip route is extended via Tokushima to Imabari. Demand is such that frequencies are increased to thrice weekly. During the first full year of service, which is celebrated on June 4, it can only be shown that a total of 27 passengers have been flown and just over 1,000 kilograms of cargo transported. Most customers have been wealthy citizens seeking easy transport to holiday destinations along the northern coast of Shikoku.
Despite earthquakes and typhoons (the one on March 25, 1925 destroys the company’s Sakai City hangar), services will continue and expand. Once the hangar is rebuilt, frequencies between Osaka and Imabari become daily on May 20. In early May 1926, a new route is started to Oita on the island of Kyushu with a Supermarine Southampton flying boat imported from the U. K.
Two float-equipped Junkers F-13s are imported from Germany in January 1928 and will be employed in July to inaugurate the company’s first regularly scheduled services. Flights to Matsuyamo commence in 1929.
The fleet is increased through the 1930s and comes to include not only the Southampton and Junkers, but 10 Hansa Brandenburgs, a Savio Marchetti S.62, and various Aichi products. Service is inaugurated to Shirahama and Beppu in 1937.
NISHI NIHON AIRWAYS COMPANY, LTD.: Ohnishi Building 47-11, Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810, Japan; Phone 81 (92) 7616257; Fax 81 (92) 711-7628; Year Founded 1954. Nishi Nihon is established at Fukuoka in 1954 to offer charter and contract service flights with a mixed fixed-wing and rotary-wing fleet. By 1985, the company operates 2 Cessna 206 Stationaires and several Kawasaki Bell 47Gs, Aerospatiale AS-350 Ecureuils, and an AS-360C Dauphin.
The nonscheduled concern continues to grow over the next 15 years. In 2000, a total of 17 full-time pilots are employed. The helicopter fleet now includes 5 AS-350B Ecureuils, 1 Dauphin, 2 Bell 204s, 4 Bell 206B JetRangers, 4 Kawasaki Bell 47Gs, 4 Aerospatiale SA-315 Lamas, and 6 Hughes HU-369HS. A Cessna 172 Skyhawk and two Cessna TU-206A Turbo Stationaires are also flown.
World History
