Low-cost airline AirAsia Japan changed its name to Vanilla Air. The announcement was made by the company which explained the choice with the fact that vanilla "is loved all over the world". The choice was made from over 200 names and it took a month and a half to make the final decision.
The move to change the name was undertaken following the breakup of the joint venture between AirAsia based in Malaysia and the Japanese All Nippon Airways (ANA) which now owns 100% of the low-cost carrier.
The two airlines announced the termination of the deal in June about a year after Air Asia Japan began operations at Tokyo's Narita Airport. Meanwhile AirAsia Japan had accumulated losses of 3,5 billion yen in the year ended March. Vanilla Air, which will begin flying at the end of December, with two aircraft, will serve travelers to tourist destinations in Japan and Asia. The number of airplanes is expected to rise to ten by 2015 and the service will gradually expand from short-haul to medium-haul flights.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/airasia-japan-rebranded-vanilla-air
