Akashi Airlines
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| Founded | 1942 | ||||||
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| Hubs | Hirakawa Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Akkō Global Club | ||||||
| Alliance | CommonSky | ||||||
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 170 | ||||||
| Destinations | 80 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Hirakawa, Kagi, Akashi | ||||||
| Employees | 35.000 (2020) | ||||||
| Website | http://www.akashiairlines.aks/ | ||||||
Akashi Airlines (Miranian: 明石航空協同組合 Akashi Kōkū Kyōdō Kumiai), commonly abbreviated Akkō (明航), is the flag carrier of Akashi. It is headquartered in Hirakawa, whose airport is also its main hub.
It was established in 1942, through the nationalisation of existing airlines. It is Akashi's largest airline, and currently an official sponsor of the Akashi Football Association.
History
Akashi Airlines was established in 1942, through the nationalisation of existing airlines. The Yurika Ehara government saw a national airline as an important tool for reconstruction and forging national unity after the Akashian Civil War.
Its first airline service was domestic, and began the same year. The airline gradually extended its network to cover all of Akashi. International flights began in 1944, with Kirisaki a major destination.
The airline took delivery of its first jet in 1960. A great expansion of international flights ensued, particularly within the Common Sphere. This was Akashi Airlines' golden era, when it became a national icon and a symbol of the modernisation and prosperity enjoyed by Akashi during the Yurikaran consensus.
During the "siege economy" of the 1970s, it expanded its fleet and implemented wage hikes and reductions in working hours to ward off wildcat strikes. This reinforced its prestige as a flag carrier, but also made it more dependent on government subsidies to stay afloat. Additional measures included expansion of international flights, retiring older airplanes, shifting its fleet towards less costly planes, and expanding into flight-related trades like baggage handling, catering, aircraft maintenance, and duty-free stores.
The Ran Tsukuda government enacted a new "aviation constitution" in 1983, which opened the domestic market to other airlines, while preserving Akashi Airlines' monopoly on international flights. An internal restructuring took place, with its registration changed from a kabushiki gaisha (corporation) to kyōdō kumiai (cooperative). A computerisation of the reservation system was carried out, and later extended to other aspects of the company. By the late 1980s, it had become consistently profitable.
Akashi Airlines underwent a managed decline in the 1990s–2000s, as a result of expansion of Shinkansen services, abolition of less-traveled domestic routes, consolidation of airports, and a shift towards environmentalist policies. The Shinobu Furukawa government promised "no wage cuts, no firings, no fare rises" — early retirement was instead favoured. Its focus remained on international flights, particularly benefiting from its reputation and extensive subsidiaries attracting tourism to Akashi.
Organisation
Akashi Airlines is a cooperative, owned by the state and managed by its workers. It is governed by a board of directors elected by workers, in turn overseen by a supervisory board, also elected by workers.
It maintains several subsidiaries as part of a policy of keeping its operations "in house" through vertical integration:
- Akashi Air Services
- Akashi Air Logistics
- Akashi Air Cargo
- Akashi Airlines Hotels
Its headquarters are in Hirakawa, Kagi.
Branding
Akashi Airlines' livery uses the tricolour hidari-mitsudomoe that is the country's emblem.
The logo has been in use since the airline was founded. Special liveries have been occasionally adopted, some of them by request of the Cabinet or President to honour illustrious Akashians. Special liveries are governed by a separate and strict code of regulations.
Flight attendant uniforms are similarly unchanged, and use navy blue as their main colour.
Destinations
Akashi Airlines flies to 90 destinations, the majority being international.
Fleet
Akashi Airlines operates a mix of wide-body aircraft and narrow-body aircraft in its fleet.
Services
Akashi Airlines has three travel classes: first class, business class, and economy class.
Its aircraft are equipped with in-flight entertainment systems and an inflight magazine. It operates a signature airport lounge at its destinations.
It has a frequent-flyer program, the Akkō Global Club.