AIRDO: The Airline Born from the Liberalization of Hokkaido's Skies

A history born from liberalization

AIRDO's entry in the late 1990s was made possible by the deregulation of Japanese air transport, which for the first time allowed a new operator to challenge the two historic carriers on a high-density domestic route like Tokyo-Sapporo. The early years were, however, marked by substantial losses, which brought the airline to the brink of bankruptcy before the alliance with ANA, completed in 2012, guaranteed its survival in exchange for an equity stake and close commercial integration.

Routes and network

The heart of the network remains the link between Tokyo Haneda and the airports of the island of Hokkaido: besides Sapporo, AIRDO serves Hakodate, Asahikawa, Obihiro, Kushiro and Memanbetsu. It is an essentially point-to-point network designed for Hokkaido residents and for tourism to one of Japan's best-loved regions, from Niseko in winter to the lavender fields of Furano in summer, operated with a fleet of Boeing 737s.

On board and the link with ANA

From the passenger's point of view, the alliance with ANA translates into a concrete advantage: AIRDO miles are integrated into the ANA Mileage Club, flights appear in the partner's booking systems and in many cases check-in and boarding can be handled with the same ANA procedures. The onboard product remains that of a regional airline, however: no business class, basic service, and a visual identity (the Hokkaido brown bear in the logo) designed to stand out all the same from the large group it is commercially part of.

What passengers say

What works:

• Generally good punctuality on routes within Hokkaido.
• Courteous cabin crew, often cited as a strength relative to the fare paid.
• Competitive fares if booked in advance compared with the two larger carriers.

What holds it back:

• Lower frequencies than the competition on some minor routes such as Kushiro or Memanbetsu.
• No real international network, which forces a change of airline for intercontinental flights.

AIRDO is the natural choice for those who need to travel within Hokkaido or between Hokkaido and Tokyo and want a lighter fare than those of the two big carriers, especially if booking weeks ahead through the website's early-bird offers. It is not, however, the right airline for those who need complex international connections: in that case a flight operated directly by ANA is better, with which AIRDO nonetheless shares much of its commercial infrastructure. A practical tip: the lowest discounted fares have strict change rules, so they should only be locked in for dates that are already definite.