Japan Air Commuter

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Japan Air Commuter Co., Ltd.
日本エアコミューター株式会社
Nihon Ea Komyūtā Kabushiki-gaisha
Japan Air Commuter logo.svg
Japan Air Commuter ATR42-600 JA03JC.jpg
IATA ICAO Call sign
JCJACCOMMUTER
FoundedJuly 1, 1983;42 years ago (1983-07-01)
Commenced operationsDecember 1983;41 years ago (1983-12)
Hubs Kagoshima
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer program JAL Mileage Bank
Alliance Oneworld (affiliate)
Fleet size11
Destinations14
Parent company JAL Group (60%)
Headquarters Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Key peopleKato Hiroki (President) [1]
Employees467 (1 March 2017) [1]
Website www.jac.co.jp

Japan Air Commuter(JAC) is a Japanese regional airline based in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture. [2] It operates feeder services in support of Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. [3] Its main base is Kagoshima Airport, with focus cities at Itami Airport, Amami Airport and Fukuoka Airport. [4] JAC is owned by Japan Airlines (60%) and 12 local municipalities of the Amami Islands and Kagoshima (40%). [4]

Contents

History

Japan Air Commuter headquarters Japan Air CommuterHQ.jpg
Japan Air Commuter headquarters
A former Japan Air Commuter NAMC YS-11 in 2004 JapanAirCommuter YS-11 fukuoka 20040926132704.jpg
A former Japan Air Commuter NAMC YS-11 in 2004
A former Japan Air Commuter Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 in the old "JAC" livery (2004) JapanAirCommuter DHC-8-400 fukuoka 20041003103726.jpg
A former Japan Air Commuter Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 in the old "JAC" livery (2004)

The airline was established on 1 July 1983 [5] and started operations in December 1983. A joint investment plan with public and private investors in fourteen Kagoshima Prefecture municipalities established Japan Air Commuter. [5] At the time JAC was an affiliate of Toa Domestic Airlines, later known as Japan Air System. [5] Japan Air System later merged into Japan Airlines.

In the 1990s JAC had its headquarters in the Kagoshima Airport Building Annex in Mizobe, Aira District, Kagoshima Prefecture. [6]

In October 2019, JAC, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Oriental Air Bridge, and Amakusa Airlines formed Essential Air Service Alliance LLP  [ ja ] (EAS LLP), a limited liability partnership, as an alliance among the three Kyushu regional carriers, with the aim of consolidating safety and technical operations, sales promotions, procurement, personnel, and other functions. [7] [8] JAC began code sharing with All Nippon Airways in October 2022, with certain flights carrying both ANA and JAL flight numbers. [3]

JAC joined Oneworld as an affiliate member in October 2020. [9]

Destinations

Japan Air Commuter operates to the following destinations (as of January 2020): [10]

IslandCityAirportNotesRef
Honshu Izumo Izumo Airport
Okinoshima Oki Airport
Osaka Itami Airport Focus city
Toyooka Tajima Airport
Kyushu Fukuoka Fukuoka Airport Focus city
Kagoshima Kagoshima Airport Hub
Ryukyu Islands Amami Amami Airport Focus city
Kikai Kikai Airport
Naha Naha Airport
Tanegashima New Tanegashima Airport
Tokunoshima Tokunoshima Airport
Wadomari Okinoerabu Airport
Yakushima Yakushima Airport
Yoron Yoron Airport
Shikoku Matsuyama Matsuyama Airport

Codeshare agreements

Japan Air Commuter has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Fleet

ATR 42-600 in current livery Tajimaairports.ATR 42-600.jpg
ATR 42-600 in current livery

Current fleet

As of August 2025, Japan Air Commuter operates the following aircraft: [12]

Japan Air Commuter Fleet
AircraftTotalOrdersPassengersNotes
ATR 42-600 948 [13]
ATR 72-600 270
Total11

Former fleet

Japan Air Commuter has previously operated the following aircraft:[ citation needed ]

Japan Air Commuter Fleet History
AircraftFleetYear IntroducedYear RetiredNotes/Refs
De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 1120022018
Dornier 228 319831995
NAMC YS-11A-500 1219882006 [14] [15] [16]
Saab 340B 1119922019 [17]

References

  1. 1 2 "会社情報 | Jac 日本エアコミューター".
  2. "会社概要." Japan Air Commuter. Retrieved on May 19, 2009.
  3. 1 2 日本放送協会. "日本エアコミューターと全日空が共同運航 鹿児島空港で出発式|NHK 鹿児島県のニュース". NHK NEWS WEB. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  4. 1 2 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International . 2007-04-03. p. 96.
  5. 1 2 3 "COMPANY INFORMATION." Japan Air System .
  6. "World Airline Directory." Flight International . March 23–29, 1994. "Japan Air System" 95.
  7. "九州の航空3社、国内初ANA/JAL超えコードシェア ANAが天草・JAC、JALがORCと". Aviation Wire (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  8. "AMX, ORC, JAC, ANA and JAL sign partnership to establish EAS LLP and promote regional routes | CAPA". centreforaviation.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  9. "Japan Air Commuter, Hokkaido Air System to oneworld via JAL". www.oneworld.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  10. Route Map," Japan Air Commuter
  11. "Japan Air Commuter (JAC)". All Nippon Airways. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  12. "Global Airline Guide 2025 - Japan Air Commuter". Airliner World. September 2025. p. 63.
  13. Press release from 2015/06/15 about decision to introduce ATR42-600 (Japanese)
  14. "Shimojijima Airport Archived 2017-04-18 at the Wayback Machine ," Okinawa Prefecture
  15. "Gallery" (November 7, 1996). Japan Air System .
  16. "JAC operating history". Archived from the original on 2012-11-10. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  17. "Japan Air Commuter ends Saab 340 ops".

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