Skymark Airlines Inc., Japan’s biggest low-cost carrier, said it plans to buy four Airbus SAS A380 superjumbo aircraft, putting it on track to become the first Japanese customer for the world’s biggest passenger plane.

Skymark aims to use the planes starting in the fiscal year beginning April 2014 ... Skymark, which operates a fleet of 15 Boeing 737s, plans to use the Airbus planes on long-distance flights, according to the statement. The airline is considering flying the planes to the U.S. and Europe, Kazusa Naito, a spokeswoman, said by telephone today. The carrier hasn’t decided how many classes of service will be in the superjumbo, she said.

"Ordering just six to eight aircraft is not ideal. You need at least 10 to 15 in order for it to be cost effective in terms of operations, spares, engines and so on. There are many overheads involved in inducting a new aircraft into the fleet. That's why we must consider the decision very carefully," he says.

IMHO ordering only 4-6 380's is a mistake for a LCC. CX recently said they need to order ~10 to justify adding A380 to its fleet as there are so many overheads.

Airbus: Skymark Airlines could order more A380s
Posted December 21, 2010 Copyright © 2010 Dowjones

TOKYO (AFP) - Skymark Airlines, the first Japanese airline that plans to integrate four Airbus A380s in its fleet from 2014, could total up to fifteen thereafter to extend its international network, said Tuesday its chairman.

November 8, this small company, which does for the moment that domestic routes, has reached an agreement in principle with the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the acquisition of six A380s, including two optional one valued at over $ 2 billion at list prices.

At a press conference Tuesday in Tokyo, Shinichi Nishikubo assured that his company could pay for these very large aircraft.

"I have no concerns about the funds to buy the A380 because business Skymark are quite good," he said, without going into detail.

But he acknowledged he might have to revise its plans if the dollar strengthened against the Japanese currency, to reach 100 yen, against about 84 now. "I am with great attention to the exchange rate," he said.

Old founder of a company service provider to the Internet, Zero, Mr Nishikubo, 55, has even added that he hoped to increase to 15 the number of Airbus A380 and open lines not only to the USA U.S. and Europe but also to Australia and Singapore "if our development plan succeeds."

"We could take a decision on our future purchases as soon as we introduced our first A380 in 2014," he told AFP.

Skymark Airlines, operating only since 1998, currently offers domestic routes, offering fares lower than those of the two major Japanese carriers, Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA).

She currently has a fleet of 17 Boeing 737 small shareholders.