History

1996 Nov The company is established in Chuo Ward, Sapporo, with JPY 14 million in capital.
1998 Oct The company is granted an air transport services route license by the Ministry of Transport.
Dec The company starts operating round trip flights between Tokyo and Sapporo three times a day.
2000 Jul Using two aircraft, the company starts operating round trip flights between Tokyo and Sapporo six times a day.
Dec The company reaches its one millionth passenger.
2002 Jun An application for bankruptcy protection under the Civil Rehabilitation Law is filed with the Tokyo District Court.
Dec Confirmation of the rehabilitation plan becomes final and binding.
The company implements a total capital reduction and its first rehabilitation increase of JPY 2,000 million.
2003 Feb The company begins domestic codesharing with All Nippon Airways on its Sapporo-Tokyo route.
Jul The company adds a flight route between Asakikawa and Tokyo.
Sep Capital increases to JPY 2,325 million (third rehabilitation increase).
2005 Mar The company adds a flight route between Hakodate and Tokyo.
Aug The company reaches its five millionth passenger.
2006 Feb The company adds a flight route between Memanbetsu and Tokyo.
Aug The company is made a designated domestic air carrier.
2007 Mar The company acquires certification as a aircraft maintenance and inspection organization as well as a certificate of continued airworthiness.
Dec The My AIRDO website member service begins.
2008 Nov The company adds a flight route between Sapporo and Sendai.
The company reaches its ten millionth passenger.
2009 Apr The company adds a flight route between Sapporo and Niigata.
Nov The company adds flight routes between Sapporo and Fukushima, Toyama, and Komatsu.
2011 Mar The company expands to ten aircraft and adds a flight route between Obihiro and Tokyo.
2012 Oct The company changes its name to AIRDO Co., Ltd.
Nov The company operates its first charter flight (between Obihiro and Nagasaki).
2013 Mar The company adds flight routes between Kushiro and Tokyo, and between Sapporo and Okayama.
Jun The company adds a flight route between Sapporo and Kobe.
2014 Jul The company reaches its twenty millionth passenger.
Nov The company acquires permission to do business in East Asia
The company operates its first international charter flight (between Sapporo and Taipei).
Dec The company receives an order of business improvement from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
2015 Mar The company ceases its flight routes between Sapporo and Fukushima, Niigata, Toyama, and Komatsu.
Oct The corporate AIRDO Biz service begins.
The company adds flight routes between Sapporo and Nagoya, Sapporo and Hiroshima, and Hakodate and Nagoya.
Nov An international charter flight (between Memanbetsu/Kushiro and Kaohsiung) goes into service.
2016 Nov The company celebrates its 20th anniversary of its establishment.
2017 Oct The company ceases its flight routes between Sapporo and Hiroshima.
2018 Mar The company ceases its flight routes between Sapporo and Okayama.
Dec The company celebrates its 20th anniversary in service.
2019 May The company reaches its thirty millionth passenger.
2020 Feb An international charter flight (between Obihiro and Taipei) goes into service.
2021 May A "Letter of Intent" related to the establishment of a joint holding company with Solaseed Air Inc. is concluded.
Jul Capital decreases to JPY 100 million.
Dec ROKONJET HOKKAIDO, a specially painted aircraft goes into service.
2022 Jul Inauguration of flights on the Sapporo-Fukuoka Route
Oct Established a joint holding company, RegionalPlus Wings Corp., with Solaseed Air Inc.
2023 Dec Celebrating Our 25th Anniversary

The Story Behind the Company's Founding

The residents and businesses of Hokkaido felt it would be beneficial not only to Hokkaido, but to Japan as a whole, to reduce their dependence on the rest of the country and pursue the boundless possibilities offered by the prefecture.

Hokkaido is rich in natural resources and constitutes 22% of Japan's total area. With a population of 5.6 million people, we believe its position of importance will only increase in the future -- as a food-supplying region, particularly of agricultural products, seafood, and dairy; as an energy-producing region; and as a manufacturing region involved in diverse industries. And we felt that the key to that was transportation access between Hokkaido and Honshu.

80% of movement and transportation between Hokkaido and Tokyo relies on aircraft, and flights take a little over an hour and a half, but economically, Hokkaido was still far removed from the nation's largest metropolis.

In 1997, the Ministry of Transport relaxed its restrictions to introduce greater competition in the future airline industry, authorizing new carriers to offer regular domestic flights.

Business entrepreneurs in Hokkaido seized upon this opportunity and established the airline AIRDO.

We believe that the increase in overall demand for air transport that we aim to achieve through the revitalization of Hokkaido's economy and the lowering of fares will bring great economic benefits, including an increase in productivity and more employment.