Fukuoka to Amakusa Airport – On the Wings
some sites in Japan can only be seen from above so come along on a brilliant visual journey through the sky [Music] today’s flight is aboard this one-of-a-kind plane featuring a dolphin design our destination a mystical land where real dolphins await amaka so let’s set off [Music] on the wings [Music] this journey begins in mid January from Fukuoka [Music] known as the gateway to Kyushu fukuoka airport is just a 5-minute train ride from the city center making it incredibly convenient [Applause] with 18 million domestic passengers annually it ranks as one of the nation’s busiest it even has an international terminal and operates over 50 routes in total the number of airlines hosted by Fukuoka airport is approximately 47 [Music] from Fukuoka we’ll head around 130 km south to an island in Kumamoto Prefecture landing at Amakusa Airport amaka Airport serves about 44,000 passengers annually and is home to just one airline one that’s captured hearts nationwide [Music] that were there behold the aircraft adored by fans across the nation painted with a charming dolphin design the plane is named Mizoka which means cute in the Amaka dialect a closer look reveals tiny dolphins on each propeller the dolphin on the right is a boy named Kai and the one on the left is a girl named Haru with her trademark long eyelashes the mother dolphin Mizoka is flanked by her two calves [Music] this makes it a one-of-a-kind flying dolphin family this airline operates just this one aircraft at 7:40 a.m it starts with a flight to Fukuoka then returns to Hamaka it continues with a round trip to Osaka via Kumamoto and finishes with two more round trips to Fukuoka mizora’s daily schedule spans 12 hours completing 10 flights some fans even go the extra mile [Music] we’re ready to take off from Fukuoka airport and enjoy a swim through the skies with this charming dolphin plane [Music] inside the dolphin calves [Music] and so begins our sky-high journey with the dolphin family [Music] the flight is a short 35 minutes don’t blink or you might miss something just 5 minutes after takeoff on the left side with Haru you’ll see Kurume the birthplace of Tong Kotsu ramen [Music] on the right with Kai the Adyak Sea comes into view [Music] look closely below along the coastline you’ll notice row upon row of black squares these are nori or seaweed farms the Anyak Sea is one of Japan’s leading Nordi production areas during low tide the sea water recedes by up to 6 m this dramatic tidal difference nurtures flavorful highquality nori and thanks to this the Aryakis has another fascinating face japan’s largest tidal flats come into view here you can spot litugoro or mudskipper a rare fish that can only be found in this area of Japan and about 20 minutes after departure the active volcano Mount Unen appears on the right [Music] this breathtaking view is exclusive to this route [Music] crossing the Aryak Sea we soon find ourselves flying over Amaka [Music] the islands of Amaxa are connected by numerous bridges [Music] just before landing the tallest peak in Amaka comes into view Mount Kuratake at the peak is Kuratake Shrine dedicated to prayers for maritime safety behold the view from its top [Music] 30 minutes after takeoff the plane begins its descent for landing [Music] amaxa airport opened in 2000 in the same year Amaka Airlines took to the skies amaxa faced transportation challenges including difficulties providing medical care during emergencies to address this the airline was created through joint investment mainly from Kumamoto Prefecture Amaka City and local municipalities [Music] has been with the airline since its inception here’s [Applause] the airline’s first aircraft there was only one plane then just as there is today and it also featured dolphins in its design eguchi still holds on to a deeply cherished sentiment this spirit has been passed down to the airlines 65 current employees [Music] [Music] we’ll focus on two workers cabin attendants are professionals specializing in cabin duties including cleaning passenger assistance and ensuring safety on another day we find her heading nowhere else but the airport counter at large airlines ground staff handle counter services exclusively but here cabin attendants like Ichioa Akiho also manage customer reception and that’s not all even the booklets found on board are entirely handmade by the cabin attendants in addition to her cabin duties she handles counterwork and even takes on the role of writer kawasaki is head of sales the sales team works on various initiatives including campaigns and PR to attract customers [Music] he heads to Mizoka as it arrives but another of his duties luggage handling and that’s still not all he even starts cleaning the cabin with another task waiting at the security checkpoint he quickly leaves [Music] in addition to sales Kasaki manages luggage cleaning and security duties this dolphin themed plane is supported by a small but elite team of staff our two guides for today’s local tour [Music] [Music] they’re currently studying hard to become flight attendants let’s cheer them on with warm support this small fishing village was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2018 during Japan’s ban on Christianity believers here secretly kept their faith alive the village preserves their stories to this day [Music] [Music] we’ve arrived at our last destination here you can shop for local specialties but the real highlight is the port to the rear time to head out to the sea of Amakusar important fishermen here have lived alongside dolphins for generations and the waters are home to a thriving population [Music] on this airlines one aircraft a family of dolphins is always waiting to welcome you [Music] are you ready for a journey like no other [Music]
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Get aboard a propeller plane painted up like a pod of dolphins on a short trip to Amakusa!
AloJapan.com