天馬航空，因顧客流失改變政策及下調票價

A few weeks ago the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

スカイマーク、運賃を値下げ　客離れで方針転換

2015年1月21日23時57分

　国内航空３位のスカイマークは３月２９日から、普通運賃を平均で約９％値下げすると発表した。経営難のため昨年１０月に平均約２８％の値上げをしたところだが、客離れが起きたため転換した。日本航空、全日本空輸との羽田発着便での共同運航は、３月末から始める方向で調整している。

　値下げするのは、国内２４路線のうち１９路線。羽田―福岡は４％下がり２万５９００円、羽田―那覇は１７％下がり２万８９００円となる。また、４月と５月の日曜日に限って、全路線の普通運賃を５千円～１万円にするサービスも始める。昨年１２月の搭乗率は５４・５％で、１２月としては９年ぶりに５０％台に落ち込んだ。

　共同運航は羽田発着の５路線で日航、全日空の両社と行う。この日に記者会見した日航の植木義晴社長は「３月に始められるよう工夫している」と話し、全日空広報も「前向きに調整している」とした。

(試譯文)

The SkyMark, which was at the 3^rd place in domestic airlines, announced that from March 29th it would reduce the price of ordinary fare by about 9 % on average. Because of financial difficulties it had just finished a price increase in October last year with an average of about 28 %; it reverted back because of a drop in customers. The departure and arrival flights at Haneda that had code-sharing with JAL and All Nippon Airways had a direction of starting the adjustment from the end of March.

  Regarding the price reduction it was the 19 domestic lines among the 24 in the country. Haneda-Fukuoka would decrease by 4% to become 25,900 yen, Haneda-Naha would fall 17 % to become 28,900 yen. Also, limited to Sundays in April and May, it began ordinary service at all routes for a fare of 5000 yen-10,000 yen. The boarding rate in December last year was 54.5%; it was the first time in nine year to fall on the 50% level in December.

  On the code-sharing, the five routes that had departure and arrival at Haneda would be operated together with JAL and ANA. President Yoshiharu Ueki of JAL who held a press conference on this day said that "it is being devised to start in March", and ANA public relations also supposed that "it is a forward looking adjustment".

Probably this adjustment would help SkyMark retain some customers.