NYK Invests in Nippon Airship
October 3, 2003
NYK has contributed a sum of Yen 100 million to the capital of Nippon Airship Corporation, a venture enterprise which is planning to operate an airship for excursion flight and publicity business on the occasion of the Aichi Exposition, scheduled for 2005.
| Amount of investment | : | Yen 100 million |
| Date of investment | : | September 29, 2003 |
| Form of investment | : | Subscription for newly issued shares |
| Established | : | March 26, 2002 |
| Capital (before increase) | : | Yen 60 million |
| (after increase) | : | Yen 160 million *NYK's equity share is 62.5%. |
| Location | : | 9th Floor, Nagoya Yusen Bldg., 6-35, Nishiki 3-chome, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi |
| President | : | Hiroyuki Watanabe |
| Lines of business | : | Publicity and passenger/cargo transport by airship, and other airship-related businesses. At present, Nippon Airship Corporation is the only Japanese company that has knowhow for operating an airship. |
NYK has invested in Nippon Airship Corporation with the aim of studying the business of transporting cargo and passengers by airship. At present, Nippon Airship Corporation is contemplating operating a small airship to engage in publicity and small-scale excursion flight at first. NYK intends to acquire knowhow for small airship operation in the first place with a view to eventually operating large-sized airships.
3.Business visions NYK wants to provide to society through airship business| (1) | Simplified and inexpensive inland transport of heavy, large-sized cargoes |
| (2) | Active use of airships, which are superior to helicopters in flight duration and low noise, in such fields as service as communication base, relay broadcasting, disaster relief activities, exploration of natural resources and land surveying. |
| (3) | Supply of a new means of travel next to cruise ships - NYK considers that airships can become a new means of travel that can better meet the current needs of the times, such as a "slow life" and ecology. Airships will be able to create new features different from airplane flight through combination with inland tourism, which is difficult to incorporate into tour plans of cruise ships - for example, a wide view from a low altitude and a midair dinner. |
At present, no large-sized airships are available for the above (1) and (3). Airship operation is currently undertaken primarily by airship manufacturers themselves. However, NYK aims at a business style of an airship operation company promoting the development of airships tailored to its needs and business visions.