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Founded | March 1974 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | 10 October 1974 | ||||||
Ceased operations | 1 April 2012 (merged into ANA) | ||||||
Operating bases | Tokyo International Airport | ||||||
Alliance | Star Alliance | ||||||
Fleet size | 35 | ||||||
Parent company | All Nippon Airways | ||||||
Website | www.air-nippon.co.jp |
Air Nippon Co., Ltd. (エアーニッポン株式会社 Eā Nippon Kabushiki-gaisha?), was a regional airline based in the Shiodome City Center complex in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
A wholly owned subsidiary of All Nippon Airways (ANA), it mainly operated short routes and flights to isolated islands in support of ANA's domestic services. Its main base was Tokyo International Airport.
In April 2004, Air Nippon adopted ANA flight codes and numbers for all domestic services.
The company was founded by ANA, Japan Airlines and TOA Domestic as Nippon Kinkyori Airways(日本近距離航空 Nippon Kinkyori Kōkū?, lit. Japan Short-Distance Airline, NKK) in March 1974 and started operations on 10 October 1974. The name Air Nippon was adopted in 1987, and the abbreviation ANK comes from the full, somewhat redundant name Air Nippon Kabushiki kaisha (lit. Air Nippon corporation.).
As part of ANA's reorganisation, Air Nippon's domestic operations are being consolidated into the main airline. It had 12 Boeing 737-200 aircraft. ANA and Air Nippon used different liveries and IATA codes on domestic flights until April 2004, when Air Nippon adopted ANA livery and ANA flight numbers. As an ANA subsidiary, it is considered a full Star Alliance member. However, on Republic of China flights before April 2008, Air Nippon's IATA code EL was still used due to political reasons and these flights are not considered being Star Alliance flights.