The atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone was in a good mood. The seats were comfortable and the legroom was generous. (I'm 1.86m tall)
After a smooth landing and a short taxi we reached our remote parking spot. Despite the light load stairs were attached to the front and the rear doors of the 737 and there were two busses to drive us to the terminal. I managed to take a photo of our plane before boarding the bus.
On the way to arrivals we passed a Ryukyu Air Commuter Dash 8. After the short bus ride we entered the baggage claim area. There are two belts. One is used for JAL group and the other for ANA group.
As soon as we arrived the belt went on and our suitcases came out after a few minutes. We left the airport and took a taxi to our hotel.
I really enjoyed the flight. It was very pleasant and the weather was great and I enjoyed watching the clouds go by.
After a few days in Ishigaki it was time to head to Tokyo, the final destination of our trip.
Ishigaki was really nice and the weather was great.
As there are no direct flights from Ishigaki to Tokyo on ANA, we had to change planes at Naha Airport, OKA. The flight to Naha was operated by a 737 and the flight from Naha to Tokyo Haneda by a 747-400D. I was looking forward to flying on this type but things turned out differently as you will see later on.
Flight: Ishigaki-Okinawa
After a short taxi ride we were back at Ishigaki Airport ISG.
We proceeded to the ANA building and checked in. There was no queue but the agent took a long time to print our checked-in notices.
There was a board with the daily flights located behind the desk.
Our baggage was screened and a friendly agent tagged them all the way to Tokyo Haneda. We then proceeded to the gate lounge. At Ishigaki Airport there is one security lane and one gate lounge. The security was no problem and the friendly agents were very relaxed and smiling. There is only one shop next to the gate and a restaurant before security.
The boarding process started. I scanned my QR code and got a red boarding pass.
The whole process was very quick and efficient. Within ten minutes everyone had been taken to the plane by bus and the doors were closed. After leaving the bus I took a photo of our plane, JA358K.
Flight Info
Airline: ANA Wings NH
Flight no: NH1766
From: Ishigaki ISG to Okinawa Naha OKA
Departure: 11:10 Arrival:12:00
Duration: 50 minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 737-500
Registration: JA358K
Class: Economy Seat: 5A
2nd flight on ANA Wings
1st flight on JA358K
6th flight on a Boeing 737
Upon entering the aircraft I was greeted by the cabin crew. I took a blanket and proceeded to my seat.
It was one of the 737-500 fitted with the new slim seats. The legroom was good.
The cabin was in a good condition and we were all set for a punctual take off at 11:10. However, after about 10 minutes of just waiting a flight attendant announced that there was a mechanical issue which would cause a delay. I looked out of the window and say mechanics opening up the left engine.
Another announcement followed that we would be taking off in approximately 30 minutes but a few minutes later it was announced that the captain had cancelled the flight. When leaving the aircraft the cabin crew apologised and at the bottom of the stairs the ground staff also apologised. The mechanics were still working on the engine.
Once we reached the gate the gate agents apologised and we left the secure area and headed back to the check-in / ticketing desks. Everyone formed an orderly line waiting to be rebooked.
All agents were busy helping passengers from our flight in some way. They were all very apologetic and they worked really hard and fast trying to get the situation under control as soon as possible. After about 15 minutes we were directed to an agent. She apologised for the inconvenience and rebooked us on NH1768 leaving to Okinawa at 12:30. This was the next flight scheduled to depart after our original flight. Because we wouldn't be able to make our connection in Okinawa she rebooked us on NH128 leaving Okinawa at 14:35. While she was typing away insanely fast one of her colleagues brought our suitcases to the desk we were at and the agent gave us new boarding passes for both flights and new baggage tags.
As our flight was scheduled to leave in 15 minutes by that time we quickly rushed through security and to the gate. We scanned our new QR codes and got our boarding passes.
