Vanilla Air (Tokyo Narita) is considering acquiring widebody aircraft as one of two options in its longterm expansion strategy.
According to CAPA, the LCC's strategy hinges on growth in the lucrative south-east Asian market with two options currently on the table to help realize this objective.
The first option involves establishing a second base further south along the Japanese archipelago with Okinawa Naha deemed the only plausible location. Vanilla, however, is reportedly hesitant to take such a step given that rival LCC and fellow ANA - All Nippon Airways (NH, Tokyo Haneda) subsidiary Peach Aviation (MM, Osaka Kansai) has already established its own hub there.
The second option entails the use of widebody aircraft to bring south-east Asian destinations into reach without the need to establish said second base. Airline management has reportedly been studying this option for 'some time' and could see Vanilla Air going the path of South Korea's Jin Air (LJ, Jeju) which began B777-200(ER) operations earlier this year. As such, mooted destinations include Saipan, Guam International, and even Hawaii.
Currently, Vanilla Air operates eight A320-200 (sl)s on flights from its Tokyo Narita hub to Amami, Okinawa Naha, and Sapporo Chitose locally and Hong Kong International, Kaohsiung, and Taipei Taoyuan regionally.
