Skymark has begun operating charter flights between Kobe, Japan, and Taipei/Taoyuan, Taiwan.
This is the airlines first international operation in about five and a half years, since it suspended the Tokyo/NaritaSaipan route in March 2020. Four round trips will operate, with departures from Kobe on October 47 and from Taipei/Taoyuan on October 710. Tour packages were sold by JTB, Hankyu Travel, H.I.S., AirTrip, and Skypack Tours.
At a ceremony held before the first departure, Skymark President and CEO Manabu Motohashi emphasized that Kobe Airport is the carriers base with the largest number of routes, saying, International charter flights will be a major step toward our further growth, and we will continue our efforts so that we can take the next step beyond that as well. Masao Imanishi, Deputy Mayor of Kobe City, explained that Kobe City and Taoyuan City have signed an MOU to promote tourism exchange and are conducting mutual tourism PR, and expressed his expectations, saying, We would very much like you to operate international charter flights on a regular basis. Taiwanese glove puppetry (Budaixi) was also performed.
For the inaugural flight, the “Pikachu Jet BC1” (Boeing 737800, registration: JA73AB) was deployed. It pushed back at 9:30 a.m. and took off at 9:41 a.m. It is scheduled to arrive at Taipei/Taoyuan at 11:25 a.m. local time. There were seven crew members, and the passenger load was nearly full.
On board, departures from Kobe feature a Japanese bento with dishes such as mushroom takikomi gohan and Kobe beef shigure-ni, while departures from Taipei/Taoyuan feature a Taiwan-style bento including stir-fried rice vermicelli with colorful vegetables, shrimp with Taiwanese-style sauce, and Taiwanese pineapple cake. Beverages, including Kobe beer, Taiwan Beer, and Kobe wine, are provided free of charge.
Kobe Airport opened its Terminal 2 building in April and began accepting international charter flights. This marks the first operation of international charter flights by a Japanese airline at the airport. In 2030, the airport plans to begin accepting scheduled international services, with up to 40 daily flights and an annual projection of 1.9 million passengers.
Schedule BC1193 Kobe (09:25) Taipei/Taoyuan (11:25) / Oct 47 BC1194 Taipei/Taoyuan (12:55) Kobe (16:45) / Oct 710
