Shanghai-based LCC Spring Airlines is accelerating the pace of its Japanese market expansion.

The carrier operates thrice-weekly Shanghai-Ibaraki service and is scheduled to open a twice-weekly Shanghai-Takamatsu route this week. It also plans to start Shanghai-Kyushu flights this year and a Shanghai-Hokkaido route next year. Spring delayed the opening of new routes in Japan owing to the natural and nuclear crises in March.

As part of its expansion plan, Spring is considering setting up a joint venture airline in conjunction with some Japanese enterprises, although Chairman Wang Zhenghua said there is no specific timetable and noted it would need government approval. "The reason that we want to set up a new JV in Japan is because our growth in China is constrained by a pilot shortage," Wang explained. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways both plan to launch low-cost subsidiaries in the coming months.

Wang also implied that Spring is interested in launching JVs based in South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau.