AirAsia Japan (Nagoya Chubu) chairman Takashi Ide says the start-up will now likely only launch operations during summer of this year having originally aimed for spring time.

According to the ZipanguFlyer blog, the delay was caused by a number of factors including a last-minute change in management which saw Ide replacing former chairman Yoshinori Odagiri among other appointments.

However, with JPY3 billion (USD26.31 million) in fresh capital, the LCC now looks set to launch revenue operations in either July or August.

Initially, the AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur International) unit will largely focus on Japan's domestic market employing a pair of two A320-200 (sl)s to connect Nagoya Chubu to Sapporo Chitose, Sendai, and Taipei Taoyuan with double-daily rotations.

Thereafter, in 2017, a further four aircraft will arrive allowing for the launch of added regional flights with Beijing Capital, Tianjin, Guam International, Hong Kong International, Macau International, Seoul Incheon, Shanghai Pudong, and Wuxi touted as possible destinations. First profit is forecasted for FY2017.

In 2018, AirAsia Japan will add three A320s for a total of nine, plus two A330s. The new Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) wide-body aircraft will be used to open up Nagoya Chubu-Singapore Changi, while the additional A320s will be based at a new hub at Tokyo Narita and fly to Beijing or Tianjin, Hong Kong or Macau, Sapporo, Taipei, and Shanghai or Wuxi.

During 2019, the fleet will be increased to a dozen A320s and four A330s; the A320s will be based at their third hub at Taipei Taoyuan and start Vietnam and Singapore using fifth freedom rights, while additional A330s will be used to launch Honolulu from both Nagoya and Tokyo's Narita airport.

By the end of 2020, the LCC's fleet will include fourteen A320s and six A330s. The additional A330s will be used to open up its first trans-Pacific routes to Seattle Tacoma International, though Ide noted it could be changed to San Francisco depending on which US partner it interlines with. The added A320s will also open up more routes including Taipei and Narita with Seoul. The LCC also plans to conduct its Initial Public Offering (IPO) during FY2020.