The Osaka office of the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau has sanctioned Okayama Air Service with a 60-day suspension order for certified maintenance inspections. The operator failed to perform legally required maintenance, with some deficiencies reportedly dating back as long as 22 years.
The regulator's order also mandates a three-part business improvement programme to overhaul the safety management department and a warning regarding the safety manager's responsibilities.
The issues came to light following an incident on October 22, when a malfunction in the right engine of the operator's Beech 58 forced the twin-engine piston aircraft to return to Okayama shortly after departure. On October 30, the Osaka Civil Aviation Bureau conducted an on-site inspection, and the following day the carrier confirmed that the necessary maintenance had not been completed. A subsequent inspection conducted between November 11 and 14 uncovered non-compliance and violations of certification standards.
The airline was found to have conducted improper maintenance on its own and third-party aircraft, including at least seven aircraft of three different types. Furthermore, it had issued airworthiness review certificates (ARCs) without fulfilling all required inspections.
"We take the administrative action very seriously and will implement measures to prevent recurrence, ensuring such incidents do not happen in the future. We are also working diligently to maintain safety management and restore public trust," the company said in a statement. According to Okayama Air Service, the issues that led to the administrative actions were identified through internal inspections and duly reported.
Okayama Air Service's corporate jet fleet includes a Citation Jet 2, a Citation Jet 4, a Citation Jet 4 Gen2, two Citation M2s, a Citation Latitude, and two HondaJet Elites. It also operates a number of general aviation aircraft, such as the Cessna 172, Cessna 206, and Beech 58. According to its website, the company is a certified maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider for Textron Aviation, offering additional services such as private jet charter flights, aircraft management, acquisition and sales, and running a flight school in Okayama.
The company is a subsidiary of Sojitz Business Jets, which has established ANA Business Jet in collaboration with ANA Holdings, as well as Phenix Jet, a United States-based Part 135 operator with a fleet of ten certified Bombardier Business Aircraft and Gulfstream Aerospace executive jets. The latter has a Cayman Islands-certified affiliate, Phenix Jet Cayman.
ch-aviation has reached out to Okayama Air Service and Sojitz Business Jets for comment.
