A Boeing 767-300, the first jetliner in the fleet of Skymark Airlines Co., the only new entry in the country's aviation industry in 35 years, arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport Friday from Seattle prior to its initial commercial flight on Sept. 19.
The 309-seat aircraft has few markings except for Skymark's symbol on its tail and a question mark on the side of its fuselage. "I was very excited to see the plane at around 8:07 a.m. I felt that this first aircraft will enable us to provide safety to customers and offer service and prices they enjoy," Hideo Sawada, chairman of Skymark Airline Co., told a news conference at Haneda airport. "We will make further efforts to hopefully become a carrier into the 21st century."
The carrier will operate three flights a day on the Tokyo-Fukuoka route. Seats will be priced at 13,700 yen for a one-way trip, 50 percent less than the regular fare offered by the three existing carriers on the route. An upgrade seat costs 21,700 yen.
Tickets for the initial flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka Sept. 19 were sold out 20 minutes after reservations were first taken, according to a company spokesman.