SNA, a new entrant in the Japanese market based in southern Japan, was granted assistance to restructure its operations by the Tokyo based IRCJ in June 2004, under Article 27 of the Industrial Revitalization Corporation Act of 2003.

ANA already provides maintenance services under contract to SNA. Although details of the new agreement have yet to be finalised, the assistance from ANA will take the form of further maintenance and operational related services, parts supply, airport handling and sales expertise, as well as training for crew.

SNA began operations in August 2002, and serves Tokyo’s Haneda airport with six return flights per day each from the regional cities of Miyazaki and Kumamoto.

The IRCJ was established jointly by the public and private sector on April 16, 2003, with the aim of providing revitalization assistance beneficial to both the industrial and the financial sectors in Japan. It targets assistance at companies that have sound business fundamentals but are unable to thrive because of excessive debt levels or other factors.