Starting today, October 27, 2019, Fuji Dream Airlines will operate scheduled flights between Kobe and two domestic destinations, Izumo and Matsumoto. In preparation for that, yesterday, the airline ferried one of its aircraft – JA11FJ – from its main hub in Nagoya to Kobe.
Fuji Dream Airlines will launch flights from Kobe to Kochi later in the year as well.
Fuji Dream Airlines and Kobe Airport
For years, Kobe airport’s traffic was restricted to 60 take-off and landings a day. Recently, however, the government has decided to loosen that restriction a bit and allow up to 80 take-off and landings a day.
Fuji Dream Airlines decided to take advantage of that and launch flights out of the airport.
The first two destinations the airline announced were Izumo in Shimane Prefecture and Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture. Kochi on the island of Shikoku followed soon after.
Fuji Dream Airlines’ ambitions in Kobe don’t end there, though. In my interview for Asian Aviation Magazine earlier this year, Yoshihiro Miwa, the President and COO of the airline said:
If we are talking about our third hub, that’s most likely to be Kobe.
JH815/816 & JH811/812: Kobe – Izumo and Back
Between October 27 and December 19, 2019, Fuji Dream Airlines will operate two daily rotations between Kobe (UKB) and Izumo (IZO). From December 20, 2019, onwards, the airline will only operate one daily flight.
During the period with two daily rotations, the schedule will be as follows:
- JH811 / UKB – IZO / 7:10AM – 8:05AM
- JH812 / IZO – UKB / 8:35AM – 9:25AM
- JH815 / UKB – IZO / 2:10PM – 3:05PM
- JH816 / IZO – UKB / 2:45PM – 3:35PM
Once the schedule is reduced to one rotation day, it will be as follows:
- JH815 / UKB – IZO / 2:30PM – 3:25PM
- JH816 / IZO – UKB / 3:55PM – 4:45PM
The airline already serves Nagoya, Shizuoka, and Sendai out of Izumo, and so, Kobe will be its fourth destination out of the airport.
JH232/233: Kobe – Matsumoto and Back
The daily flights between Kobe and Matsumoto (MMJ) will operate starting from today, October 27, 2019, as well:
- JH232 / UKB – MMJ / 9:55AM – 10:55AM
- JH233 / MMJ – UKB / 12:20PM – 1:25PM
Fuji Dream Airlines connects Matsumoto with Sapporo and Shizuoka as well.
JH821/822 & JH827/828: Kobe – Kochi and Back
Finally, Fuji Dream Airlines will start operating double daily flights between Kobe and Kochi (KCZ) on December 20, 2019.
The schedule will be as follows:
- JH821 / UKB – KCZ / 7:05AM – 7:55AM
- JH822 / KCZ – UKB / 8:40AM – 9:25AM
- JH827 / UKB – KCZ / 6:20PM – 7:10PM
- JH828 / KCZ – UKB / 7:55PM – 8:40PM
Since Fuji Dream Airlines currently operates flights between Kochi and Nagoya, Kobe will be the airline’s second destination out of the Shikoku airport.
Summary
It is nice to see a new airline launching flights out of Kobe – and also to see Fuji Dream Airlines continuing its expansion.
While the airports – especially Izumo and Kochi – are already served from nearby Osaka, this will be the first time for the three cities to be connected directly with Kobe.
