Skymark Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Skymark Airlines
スカイマーク
Sukai Māku

Founded	November 12, 1996; 28 years ago (1996-11-12)
Commenced operations	September 19, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-09-19)
Operating bases	Fukuoka Kobe Miyakojima–Shimojishima Naha Sapporo–Chitose Tokyo–Haneda
Fleet size	29
Destinations	11
Headquarters	Haneda Airport, Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
Key people	Masakazu Arimori (President & CEO)
Revenue	¥47.1 billion (FY March 2022)
Operating income	(¥16.7 billion) (FY March 2022)
Net income	(¥6.7 billion) (FY March 2022)
Total assets	¥93.6 billion (March 2022)
Total equity	¥9.2 billion (Dec. 2014)
Employees	2,457 (31 March 2024)

Skymark Airlines Inc. (スカイマーク株式会社, Sukaimāku Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese low-cost airline. It has its main office at Haneda Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.

Skymark Airlines flies to many places within Japan. Its main base is at Haneda Airport. It also has important bases at Kobe Airport and Naha Airport. It is the only Japanese airline that flies regularly from Ibaraki Airport.

Skymark was the first airline in Japan to offer low-cost flights. A businessman named Shinichi Nishikubo led the company for many years. In 2015, the airline had money problems and needed to reorganize.

Later in 2015, other companies helped Skymark get back on its feet. These included Integral Corporation, All Nippon Airways, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and the Development Bank of Japan.

How Skymark Airlines Started

Early Flights (1996–2010)

A Skymark Boeing 767-300ER plane at Haneda Airport in 2003. This was one of their first plane designs.

Skymark Airlines began in November 1996. It was created after new rules made it easier for airlines to start in Japan. The airline started flying on September 19, 1998.

A travel company called H.I.S. and other investors first owned Skymark. They planned for the airline to be based in Osaka. But then, Skymark got flight spots at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. So, they moved their main office to Tokyo in 1998.

Skymark's first flight was from Haneda to Fukuoka in September 1998. They added more routes later. In 1999, they flew from Itami to Fukuoka and Sapporo. However, they stopped these routes in 2000 to fly more often on the busy Haneda-Fukuoka route.

In 2002, Skymark got a third Boeing 767 plane. They started flying to Kagoshima from Haneda. They also offered charter flights from Haneda to Seoul. In 2003, they added flights to Aomori and Tokushima.

The airline lost money in its first few years. In 2003, a new investor, Shinichi Nishikubo, joined Skymark. He became the CEO in 2004. Skymark started to make a profit by using more efficient planes. They also used their own systems to offer lower prices than other airlines.

Skymark worked with Japan Airlines (JAL) for a short time. They shared flights on some routes. Skymark also made Kobe Airport a major base for its flights.

Trying New Services (2010–2014)

Skymark's special "Green seats" for their Airbus A330 planes. These seats offered more comfort.

In 2010, Skymark announced plans to buy Airbus A380 planes. These are very large planes. Skymark wanted to use them for long flights to cities like London and New York. They planned to have special seats, including business class and premium economy.

Around 2012, new low-cost airlines started in Japan. This meant more competition for Skymark. Skymark had to change some of its flight plans.

To compete better, Skymark decided to use Airbus A330 planes for domestic flights. They planned to have special "Green Seats" on these planes. These seats were more comfortable, like a premium class. Skymark hoped this would attract business travelers.

There was some discussion about the uniforms for flight attendants on the A330s. The airline planned to use miniskirt uniforms for a short time. Some groups said these uniforms were not safe and could lead to problems.

Financial Challenges (2014–2015)

Skymark faced financial problems because of changes in money exchange rates. The cost of buying planes and fuel went up. This was because the Japanese yen became weaker compared to the US dollar. Skymark started losing money again.

In 2014, Skymark decided to reduce its flights from Narita Airport. The airline also started to have doubts about its A330 planes.

Two of the Airbus A380 planes that Skymark had ordered. They were stored at an airport in France after the order was cancelled.

Airbus finished building Skymark's first A380 in 2014. But Skymark had trouble paying for the planes. Airbus then cancelled Skymark's order for the A380s. Skymark had already paid a lot of money and faced big fees.

A Skymark Airbus A330-300 plane at Fukuoka Airport in 2014.

Skymark's A330 planes started flying in June 2014. However, there were too many seats on these planes for the number of passengers. This meant the planes were not full enough. Skymark tried to raise ticket prices, but this made it harder to compete.

Skymark tried to get help from other airlines like Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). They wanted to share flights or get financial support. But these plans did not work out.

Bankruptcy and Recovery (2015–2020)

In January 2015, Skymark had to file for bankruptcy protection. This means they asked a court for help to reorganize their business because they had too much debt. The CEO, Shinichi Nishikubo, stepped down.

Skymark decided to stop using the A330 planes. They also cut some flights to save money. They introduced very low fares on some routes to attract more passengers.

Several airlines and investment groups offered to help Skymark. In August 2015, a plan was approved to help Skymark recover. Integral Corporation became the main owner. All Nippon Airways and other banks also invested in the company.

After leaving bankruptcy in 2016, Skymark's business got better quickly. They started making a profit again. Skymark focused on growing its flights from Kobe and Ibaraki airports.

In 2018, Skymark announced plans for its first international charter flights. These were flights to Saipan and Palau. Later, the Saipan flights became regular scheduled flights.

Recent Years (2020–Present)

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused big problems for airlines. Skymark had to cancel its international flights to Saipan. The airline's CEO said they do not plan to restart international flights before 2026.

In 2020, Skymark added Shimojishima Airport as a new destination.

Skymark faced big financial losses again in 2021 and 2022 because of the pandemic. However, the company was re-listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2022. This meant its shares could be bought and sold again.

In 2023, Skymark announced new orders for Boeing 737 MAX planes. These new planes are expected to start flying between 2025 and 2027.

Where Skymark Flies

Skymark's main office building at Haneda Airport.

Skymark's check-in counters at Kansai International Airport.

The inside of a Skymark Boeing 737-800 plane, showing the seats.

As of April 2024, Skymark Airlines flies to these places:

Main Flight Connections

This table shows direct flights between some of Skymark's main airports.

Airline Partnerships

Skymark has sometimes looked into or had agreements to share flights with other airlines. These included All Nippon Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Japan Airlines. However, since 2018, Skymark has chosen to fly on its own without these partnerships.

Skymark's Planes

Current Fleet

A Skymark Boeing 737-800 plane.

As of June 2020, Skymark Airlines uses these planes:

Past Planes

A former Skymark Boeing 767-300ER plane in 2006.

Skymark Airlines used to fly these types of planes:

How the Fleet Changed

A former Skymark Boeing 767-300ER plane with a special "Yamato" design.

In its early years, Skymark used Boeing 767-200 and Boeing 767-300 planes. Some of these planes had special designs on their sides to advertise other companies.

Starting in 2005, Skymark began to get new Boeing 737-800 planes. These are smaller planes. By 2009, Skymark had stopped using all its 767 planes.

During its bankruptcy in 2015, Skymark stopped flying the A330s and most of its 737s. The orders for the A380s were also cancelled. Some of the A380s that Skymark had ordered were later used by other airlines like Emirates and All Nippon Airways.

Frequent Flyer Program

Skymark had plans to start a program for frequent flyers in 2014. This kind of program lets passengers earn points for flying. However, the plan was put on hold.

Skymark does not have its own frequent flyer program. But since 2011, it has offered special award seats to members of Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles program. However, you cannot earn SkyMiles points by flying with Skymark.

See also

In Spanish: Skymark Airlines para niños