Japan Transocean Air
Domestic airline of Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japan Transocean Air (JTA) is an airline based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.[3] It operates domestic services on behalf of Japan Airlines. Its main base is Naha Airport.[4] From 1967 until 1993, the airline was known as Southwest Air Lines.
- July 1, 1967 (as Southwest Air Lines)
- July 1, 1993< (as Japan Transocean Air)
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| Founded | June 20, 1967 (as Southwest Air Lines) | ||||||
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| Commenced operations |
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| Hubs | Naha Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | New Ishigaki Airport | ||||||
| Alliance | Oneworld (affiliate) | ||||||
| Subsidiaries | Ryukyu Air Commuter (74.5%) | ||||||
| Fleet size | 14 | ||||||
| Destinations | 15 | ||||||
| Parent company | JAL Group (72.8%) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan | ||||||
| Key people | Nozomi Noguchi (President & CEO) | ||||||
| Employees | 814 (31 March 2023) [2] | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
History
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The airline was established on 20 June 1967 as Southwest Air Lines (南西航空, Nansei Kōkū), and started operations in July 1967. It changed its name in July 1993. It had 814 employees (in March 2023) and is owned by Japan Airlines (51.1%), Naha Airport Terminal (17%), Okinawa Prefecture (12.9%) and others (19.1%)[4] It flew Convair 240s until new capital from JAL allowed it to upgrade to NAMC YS-11s, and eventually Boeing 737s. JTA occasionally lends aircraft to JAL in the event of equipment failure. JTA also provides maintenance services for JAL Group Boeing 737-400 aircraft. JTA owns 74.5% of Ryukyu Air Commuter. At one time the head office of Southwest Air Lines was at 306-1 Kagamizu in Naha.[5]
Destinations
As of November 2025[update], Japan Transocean Air flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:[6]
| Country | Island | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Honshu | Komatsu | Komatsu Airport | ||
| Nagoya | Chubu Centrair International Airport | ||||
| Okayama | Okayama Airport | ||||
| Osaka | Kansai International Airport | ||||
| Itami Airport | Terminated | ||||
| Tokyo | Haneda Airport | Terminated | |||
| Kyushu | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Airport | |||
| Kagoshima | Kagoshima Airport | Terminated | |||
| Ryukyu Islands | Ishigaki | Ishigaki Airport | Airport Closed | ||
| New Ishigaki Airport | Focus city | ||||
| Kumejima | Kumejima Airport | ||||
| Miyakojima | Miyako Airport | ||||
| Naha | Naha Airport | Hub | |||
| Shimojishima | Shimojishima Airport | Terminated | [7] | ||
| Yonaguni | Yonaguni Airport | Terminated | |||
| Shikoku | Kōchi | Kōchi Airport | Terminated | ||
| Matsuyama | Matsuyama Airport | Terminated | |||
| Taiwan | — | Taipei | Taoyuan International Airport |
Codeshare agreements
Japan Transocean Air currently has a codeshare agreement with the following airlines:
Interline agreements
Japan Transocean Air also has interline agreement with the following airlines:
Fleet
Current fleet
As of November 2025[update], Japan Transocean Air operates the following aircraft:[10]
| Aircraft Type | In fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | ||||
| Boeing 737-800 | 14 | — | 20 | 145 | 165[11] | Shared operation with JAL. |
| Total | 14 | — | ||||
Former fleet
Japan Transocean Air has previously operated the following aircraft:
Accidents and incidents
Since the airline's foundation, there has only been one accident which was under the former Southwest Air Lines brand.
- On 26 August 1982, Southwest Air Lines Flight 611, a Boeing 737-2Q3, registration JA8444, overran the runway at Ishigaki Airport and was destroyed. None of the 138 passengers and crew were killed but some were injured during the emergency evacuation.[12]
