TOKYO >> Air Share Inc., a startup in Obihiro, launched an aviation serv­ice that connects small, idle aircraft with pilots looking for work and tourists who want to take a scenic flight.

The business, similar to a car- sharing service, is said to be the first of its kind in Japan.

More than half of about 700 small aircraft registered in Japan are unused.

As part of the service, customers can select a route that does not exist for current commercial flights, at a departure time of their choice. For about $350, for instance, a visitor can take a flight to view the Northern Japanese Alps, a mountain range in central Japan, from an airport in Komaki, Aichi prefecture.

Air Share started its service in January 2020 and is now in full swing with 32 pilots and 30 small planes and helicopters registered at its bases in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Naha and other cities.