Hokkaido Air System
Template:Short description Template:Infobox airline
Hokkaido Air System (HAC) is a Japanese regional airline that operates scheduled services in Hokkaidō and Aomori Prefecture, Japan<ref name=":0" /> from a main base of operations at Okadama Airport in Higashi-ku, Sapporo.<ref name="HQ">"会社概要 Template:Webarchive." Hokkaido Air System. Retrieved on December 3, 2013. "〒007-0880 札幌市東区丘珠町 丘珠空港内"</ref> As of June 30, 2023, the airline is owned by Japan Airlines (57,3%), Hokkaido Prefecture (19,5%), Sapporo City (13,5%) and 16 other shareholders (9,7%).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
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The airline was established in 1997, and started operations in 1998. Founded as a joint venture with the Hokkaido government and regional municipalities and businesses, it was an affiliate of Japan Air System until that airline consolidated into Japan Airlines.<ref>"2002/11/15 Interim Financial Information Template:Webarchive." Japan Airlines.</ref> Its headquarters were at one time located in the Terminal Building of New Chitose Airport in Chitose, Hokkaidō, Japan.<ref name="OldHQ">"会社概要." Hokkaido Air System. Retrieved on May 19, 2009. "本社事務所 ： 千歳市美々新千歳空港ターミナルビル内"</ref>
HAC's initial routes in 1998 were Chitose-Hakodate, Hakodate-Asahikawa, Hakodate-Kushiro and Asahikawa-Kushiro, followed by Chitose-Kushiro and Hakodate-Memanbetsu in 1999 and Hakodate-Sendai in 2001. It began Okadama service in 2003 with service to Hakodate and Kushiro, for a total of nine routes. HAC also served Monbetsu from Chitose and Okadama in 2005–06.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Air Hokkaido ceased operations on 31 March 2006 and its sole route, Hakodate-Okushiri, was taken over the next day by Hokkaido Air System.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
HAC left the Japan Airlines group at the end of fiscal year 2010 (March 2011) as part of the corporate restructuring of JAL, which retained a 14% stake in the airline, making it the second-largest shareholder after the Hokkaido prefectural government.<ref name=nikkei>Template:Cite news</ref> Japan Airlines ceased ticket handling and reservation services for HAC flights effective September 1, 2011.<ref>"Termination of JAL reservation and ticket handling for flights operated by HAC (Hokkaido Air System) Template:Webarchive." Japan Airlines. Retrieved on July 21, 2011.</ref> The Hokkaido prefectural government and various local governments continued to subsidize HAC services to various smaller cities in the prefecture.<ref name=nikkei2 />
HAC recorded losses of 296 million yen and had negative equity of 116 million yen in the fiscal year ending March 2013, and took several measures to improve its performance, including resuming codesharing with JAL and starting service from Sapporo to Misawa in July 2013.<ref name=nikkei2>Template:Cite news</ref> It was revealed in August 2013 that Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers in the Hokkaido government had been pushing JAL to once again take over HAC.<ref name=nikkei /> As of December, JAL and the Hokkaido government were reportedly in negotiations to make HAC a subsidiary of JAL, as part of which JAL and Hokkaido government would each pay off half of HAC's excess debt, with the Hokkaido government possibly doing so by cancelling part of its 360 million yen loan claim against the airline.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The transaction was announced in October 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2016, HAC consolidated its flight numbers and reservations system with the JAL group.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
DestinationsEdit
Hokkaido Air System operates services to the following destinations:<ref name=":0">"Route Map." Hokkaido Air System.</ref>
FleetEdit
Current fleetEdit
Template:As of, Hokkaido Air System operates the following aircraft:Template:Citation needed
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-600 | 4 | — | 48 | |
| Total | 4 | — | ||
Former fleetEdit
Hokkaido Air System has previously operated the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saab 340B | 3Template:Citation needed | 1998 | 2021 | ATR 42-600 |
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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