JCAS Airways signed a 12-year lease agreement for one ATR 72-600 with Avation, a Singapore-based aircraft leasing company, the start-up airline announced on November 25, 2024.
“With the signing of the agreement, we confirmed that we will take delivery of the aircraft in Toulouse, France, in October 2025,” said JCAS Airways’ statement. The agreement follows a letter of intent signed at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024. While the seat configuration has not been disclosed at this point, it is likely the aircraft will be in ATR 72’s standard configuration with 72 seats, all in economy class.
The formalization of the agreement with Avation comes following JCAS Airways raised 500 million yen over the last couple of months from businesses in Toyama Prefecture and the San’in region (Toyama and Shimane prefectures). The former is home to Tottori and the latter to Yonago, both airports that JCAS Airways plans to serve out of Osaka Kansai when it launches operations.
Currently, JCAS Airways plans to launch scheduled flights in 2026. Within five years of launch, it is targeting growing its fleet to seven aircraft and network to 16 domestic routes.
Having finalized the lease agreement, JCAS Airways is set to become the second ATR 72 operator in Japan following Toki Air, a Niigata-based start-up airline that launched scheduled service earlier this year. Multiple Japanese airlines including JAL’s Hokkaido Air System and Japan Air Commuter, Oriental Air Bridge, and Amakusa Airlines operate the smaller ATR 42.
