A new low-cost airline hopes to capitalize on recent changes in the government's aviation policies and give Okinawans a cheaper option of getting to and from the mainland.

Lequios Airlines Co., established primarily by local firms in 1997, is currently capitalized at 600 million yen but hopes to boost its capital to 3.6 billion yen by March, according to Lequios President Kimio Chinen.

Lequios, whose name derives from an old Portuguese term meaning "people of Okinawa," is currently negotiating with the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry to obtain permission to launch operations.