| |||||||
| Founded | June 20, 1967; 58 years ago (1967-06-20) (asSouthwest Air Lines) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations |
| ||||||
| Hubs | Naha Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | New Ishigaki Airport | ||||||
| Alliance | Oneworld (affiliate) | ||||||
| Subsidiaries | Ryukyu Air Commuter (74.5%) | ||||||
| Fleet size | 14 | ||||||
| Destinations | 15 | ||||||
| Parent company | JAL Group (72.8%) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Naha,Okinawa Prefecture,Japan | ||||||
| Key people | Nozomi Noguchi (President &CEO) | ||||||
| Employees | 814 (31 March 2023)[2] | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Japan Transocean Air (JTA) is anairline based inNaha,Okinawa Prefecture,Japan.[3] It operates domestic services on behalf ofJapan Airlines. Its main base isNaha Airport.[4] From 1967 until 1993, the airline was known asSouthwest Air Lines.



The airline was established on 20 June 1967 asSouthwest Air Lines (南西航空,Nansei Kōkū), and started operations in July 1967. It changed its name in July 1993. It had 814 employees (in March 2023) and is owned byJapan Airlines (51.1%), Naha Airport Terminal (17%), Okinawa Prefecture (12.9%) and others (19.1%)[4] It flewConvair 240s until new capital from JAL allowed it to upgrade toNAMC YS-11s, and eventuallyBoeing 737s. JTA occasionally lends aircraft to JAL in the event of equipment failure. JTA also provides maintenance services for JAL GroupBoeing 737-400 aircraft. JTA owns 74.5% ofRyukyu Air Commuter. At one time the head office of Southwest Air Lines was at306-1 Kagamizu inNaha.[5]
As of November 2025[update], Japan Transocean Air flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:[6]
| Country | Island | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Honshu | Komatsu | Komatsu Airport | ||
| Nagoya | Chubu Centrair International Airport | ||||
| Okayama | Okayama Airport | ||||
| Osaka | Kansai International Airport | ||||
| Itami Airport | Terminated | ||||
| Tokyo | Haneda Airport | Terminated | |||
| Kyushu | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Airport | |||
| Kagoshima | Kagoshima Airport | Terminated | |||
| Ryukyu Islands | Ishigaki | Ishigaki Airport | Airport Closed | ||
| New Ishigaki Airport | Focus city | ||||
| Kumejima | Kumejima Airport | ||||
| Miyakojima | Miyako Airport | ||||
| Naha | Naha Airport | Hub | |||
| Shimojishima | Shimojishima Airport | Terminated | [7] | ||
| Yonaguni | Yonaguni Airport | Terminated | |||
| Shikoku | Kōchi | Kōchi Airport | Terminated | ||
| Matsuyama | Matsuyama Airport | Terminated | |||
| Taiwan | — | Taipei | Taoyuan International Airport | Begins February 3, 2026 | [8][9][10] |
Japan Transocean Air currently has acodeshare agreement with the following airlines:
Japan Transocean Air also hasinterline agreement with the following airlines:

As of November 2025[update], Japan Transocean Air operates the following aircraft:[13]
| Aircraft Type | In fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | ||||
| Boeing 737-800 | 14 | — | 20 | 145 | 165[14] | Shared operation with JAL. |
| Total | 14 | — | ||||
Japan Transocean Air has previously operated the following aircraft:
Since the airline's foundation, there has only been one accident which was under the former Southwest Air Lines brand.
3rd Floor, Kafuna Asahibashi A Block, 1-20-1 Izumizaki, Naha City, Okinawa 900-0021, Japan-Japanese address