Air Central
Encyclopedia
was an airline
based in Tokoname
, Aichi Prefecture
, Japan
. It operated passenger services as All Nippon Airways
(ANA) flights from its main base is Chūbu Centrair International Airport
near Nagoya. On October 1, 2010, Air Central, Air Next
and Air Nippon Network
were merged together and rebranded as ANA Wings
.
(NAS) was founded near Nagoya Airport (now Nagoya Airfield). Its major shareholders included Nagoya Railroad
and ANA
. Its core business was general aviation
, including scenic and charter flights, aerial photography
and helicopter
services. It still operates as a general aviation company.
A new affiliate
company, Nakanihon Airlines (NAL), was founded on May 12, 1988 to handle NAS's scheduled commuter services. It was headquartered in Nagoya Airport and was a joint venture
between Nagoya Railroad (55%) and ANA (45%). Commuter services began operations on 23 April 1991. On November 1, 2004, ANA became the majority (55%) shareholder of NAL. As of September 2006, ANA bears 86.7% of the shares of Air Central; and Nagoya Railroad bears 13.3% of its shares.
On February 17, 2005, NAL was renamed to the current name and was relocated to Chubu Centrair International Airport
. The flight schedules were amended for convenience of domestic and international flight changeover there. These moves were made for ANA's wish to feed international flights from Centrair operated by ANA and its Star Alliance
partners.
, Shikoku
and Kyūshū
.
Between Nagoya-Centrair and:
Tokushima city
Between Osaka International Airport
(ITM) Itami, Ōsaka and:
Between Fukuoka Airport and:
It also operated the Sendai Airport
(SDJ), near Sendai, Miyagi
to Narita International Airport
(NRT) route.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Tokoname
Tokoname, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi, Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 52,301 and the density of 1,023.56 persons per km². The total area is 48.59 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1954....
, Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It operated passenger services as All Nippon Airways
All Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
(ANA) flights from its main base is Chūbu Centrair International Airport
Chubu Centrair International Airport
is an airport on an artificial island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, south of Nagoya in central Japan.Centrair is classified as a first class airport and is the main international gateway for the Chūbu region of Japan...
near Nagoya. On October 1, 2010, Air Central, Air Next
Air Next
was a low-cost airline based on the grounds of Fukuoka Airport in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and a wholly owned subsidiary of All Nippon Airways . It operated domestic services from its main base at Fukuoka Airport...
and Air Nippon Network
Air Nippon Network
, or A-net, was an airline based on the grounds of Tokyo International Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.It operated feeder services for parent Air Nippon, itself a subsidiary of All Nippon Airways . Its main base was New Chitose Airport...
were merged together and rebranded as ANA Wings
ANA WINGS
, is a regional airline based at Tokyo International Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan. The airline was formed on October 1, 2010 through the merger of All Nippon Airways subsidiaries Air Nippon Network, Air Next, and Air Central.- Destinations :Domestic...
.
History
In 1953, Nakanihon Air ServiceNakanihon Air Service
Nakanihon Air Service is a general aviation company headquartered in Toyoyama, Nishikasugai District, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, by Nagoya Airfield near Nagoya.- History :...
(NAS) was founded near Nagoya Airport (now Nagoya Airfield). Its major shareholders included Nagoya Railroad
Nagoya Railroad
, often abbreviated as , is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan.Some of the more famous trains operated by Nagoya Railroad include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Car Super, both of which offer views through their wide front windows...
and ANA
All Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
. Its core business was general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, including scenic and charter flights, aerial photography
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
and helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
services. It still operates as a general aviation company.
A new affiliate
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
company, Nakanihon Airlines (NAL), was founded on May 12, 1988 to handle NAS's scheduled commuter services. It was headquartered in Nagoya Airport and was a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between Nagoya Railroad (55%) and ANA (45%). Commuter services began operations on 23 April 1991. On November 1, 2004, ANA became the majority (55%) shareholder of NAL. As of September 2006, ANA bears 86.7% of the shares of Air Central; and Nagoya Railroad bears 13.3% of its shares.
On February 17, 2005, NAL was renamed to the current name and was relocated to Chubu Centrair International Airport
Chubu Centrair International Airport
is an airport on an artificial island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, south of Nagoya in central Japan.Centrair is classified as a first class airport and is the main international gateway for the Chūbu region of Japan...
. The flight schedules were amended for convenience of domestic and international flight changeover there. These moves were made for ANA's wish to feed international flights from Centrair operated by ANA and its Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
partners.
Destinations
As of April 2007, Air Central served the following destinations on the Japanese islands of HonshūHonshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
and Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
.
Between Nagoya-Centrair and:
- Fukuoka AirportFukuoka Airport, formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Japan. It is officially designated a second class airport. It is operating at full capacity, and cannot be further expanded. Flights stop at 10 p.m...
(FUK), Fukuoka, FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuokais the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by... - Fukushima AirportFukushima Airport, is an airport serving Sukagawa, a city in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan. The airport is located southeast of Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama.A popular TV drama, Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World, was filmed there.-Airlines and destinations:...
(FKS), Tamakawa, FukushimaTamakawa, Fukushimais a village located in Ishikawa District, Fukushima, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 7,617 and a density of 163.60 persons per km². The total area is 46.56 km².-External links:*...
near Koriyama - Matsuyama AirportMatsuyama Airport-Statistics:...
(MYJ), Matsuyama, EhimeMatsuyama, Ehimeis the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889.... - Narita International AirportNarita International Airportis an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
(NRT), Chiba PrefectureChiba Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, 70 kilometres from TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... - Niigata AirportNiigata Airportis a second class airport located northeast of Niigata Station in Niigata, Japan.-Airlines and destinations:The following destinations are served from Niigata :-External links:*...
(KIJ), Niigata, NiigataNiigata, Niigatais the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island.... - Tokushima AirportTokushima Airportis an airport in Matsushige, Tokushima, Japan, near the city of Tokushima.In addition to scheduled passenger operations, the airport is the base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Tokusima Air Training Group of 202 Air Training Squadron equipped with Beechcraft TC-90, and UH-60J Search and...
(TKS), Matsushige, TokushimaMatsushige, Tokushimais a town located in Itano District, Tokushima, Japan.As of 2003, the town haa an estimated population of 14,797 and a density of 1,129.54 per km². The total area is 13.10 km²....
near
Tokushima city
Tokushima, Tokushima
is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km²....
- Yonago Airport (Miho Airbase YGJ), Sakaiminato, TottoriSakaiminato, Tottoriis a city in the northern Tottori Prefecture, Japan. At the northern end of Yumigahama Peninsula, it faces the Sea of Japan, another sea Nakaumi and Sakai channel.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 35,710 and the density of 1,240 persons per km²...
near Yonago
Between Osaka International Airport
Osaka International Airport
or Osaka-Itami International Airport is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is classified as a first class airport....
(ITM) Itami, Ōsaka and:
- Kochi Airport (KCZ), Nankoku, KōchiNankoku, Kochiis a city located in Kōchi, Japan. Strong in the fishing industry and the market industry, Nankoku-shi supplies most of Kochi's agricultural needs, because of the amount of fields and plantations. Nankoku-shi's downtown is relatively small, has 2 major supermarkets, one major hospital, a tractor...
- Matsuyama Airport
- Niigata Airport
Between Fukuoka Airport and:
- Goto-Fukue Airport (FUJ), Gotō, NagasakiGoto, Nagasakiis a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It comprises the south-west half of the Gotō Islands in the East China Sea, some 100 kilometers from Nagasaki. The city consists of 11 inhabited and 52 uninhabited islands...
- Tsushima Airport (TSJ), Tsushima, NagasakiTsushima, Nagasakiis a city governed by Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is the only city of Tsushima Subprefecture and it encompasses all of Tsushima Island Archipelago, which lies in the Tsushima Strait north of Nagasaki on the western side of Kyūshū, the southernmost mainland island of Japan. the city has an...
It also operated the Sendai Airport
Sendai Airport
is an airport located in Natori, Miyagi, south southeast of Sendai Station, Sendai, Japan.-History:In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Army built Sendai Airport in order to use it for the Kumakaya Army Flight School, Masda Branch School Trainee Training Center. It was called by several names: Natory...
(SDJ), near Sendai, Miyagi
Sendai, Miyagi
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
to Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
(NRT) route.
Fleet
As of March 2007 the Air Central fleet included :- 3 Fokker 50Fokker F50The Fokker 50 is a turboprop-powered airliner, designed as a refinement of and successor to the highly successful Fokker F27 Friendship. The Fokker 60 is a stretched freighter version of the Fokker 50. Both aircraft were built by Fokker in the Netherlands...
(phased out, red liveryLiveryA livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
probably after Nagoya RailroadNagoya Railroad, often abbreviated as , is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan.Some of the more famous trains operated by Nagoya Railroad include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Car Super, both of which offer views through their wide front windows...
but have been repainted in blue livery of ANAAll Nippon Airways, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
) - 2 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 (progressively leased and carrying the blue livery of ANA)