Local News

Amakusa Airlines, a public-private venture based in Kumamoto, announced it will inaugurate a daily roundtrip flight between Kumamoto and Osaka to replace the current flight between Kumamoto and Kobe that it will end next month. The flight is likely to begin in mid-December. The company operates a prop-driven aircraft that seats 39 passengers. They are abandoning the Kobe route because Skymark will start service on the same route next month. Meanwhile, both JAL and ANA have four daily roundtrip flights between Kumamoto and Osaka. They think they can conduct profitable service because JAL is dropping one of those flights.