Japan’s Airdo, Solaseed Air merge as travel demand hit by pandemic

Japanese regional airlines Airdo Co. and Solaseed Air Inc. merged their operations Monday to cut costs and effectively utilize resources amid a slump in travel demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Airdo, headquartered in Sapporo on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, and Solaseed Air, based in Miyazaki in the southwestern region of Kyushu, will retain their names and current routes under a new holding company, RegionalPlus Wings Corp.

With the merger, the struggling airlines aim to reduce costs through the joint maintenance of aircraft and procurement of supplies, they said. Solase...