Japan Transocean Air
Japan · JAI OCEAN · Active
Airline Identity
History
Japan Transocean Air traces its roots to Southwest Air Lines, founded on 20 June 1967 to serve Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, initially flying Convair 240s before upgrading through NAMC YS-11s and eventually Boeing 737s. The carrier was rebranded Japan Transocean Air in July 1993 and, as Japan Airlines built up a majority stake, became a core regional member of the JAL Group serving Okinawa's many islands from its Naha base.
Current Operations
Japan Transocean Air remains active, operating scheduled domestic services from its Naha (Okinawa) base with a fleet of Boeing 737-800s under the Japan Airlines Group umbrella, alongside interline and codeshare agreements. Japan Airlines holds a 51.1% stake, with Naha Airport Terminal, Okinawa Prefecture and other local investors holding the remainder, and the airline employed roughly 814 people as of March 2023.
Last verified 2026-09-03· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.