Toki Air to Serve Kobe and Narita, Aims for Sado with ATR42-600 Aircraft

Toki Air has announced plans to serve two airports: Kobe and Tokyo/Narita. This was revealed during a press conference.

For Kobe, the airline is preparing to start operations with the summer schedule beginning March 30. As for Tokyo/Narita, there’s optimism for securing slots and the start date is currently under internal review.

Regarding the impact of the ceased development of the ATR42-600S model, a short take-off and landing (STOL) variant which had been intended for service to Sado, the company intends to aim for Sado Airport operations with the introduction of the ATR42-600 model as the third aircraft in its fleet. Given Sado Airport’s short 800-meter runway, there was a plan to use a STOL model.

However, there’s a necessity to reduce weight, and depending on weather conditions, limiting the number of passengers is also considered a possibility. Coordination is ongoing with various parties. The ATR42-600 will have two fewer seats than other airlines, featuring 46 seats with spacious legroom. By adjusting the price, the company aims to ensure profitability.