Budget carrier AirAsia Japan Co. began its domestic flights service in Japan on Wednesday, becoming the third low-cost airline to launch domestic flights in Japan.

The airline is jointly owned by the Malaysian-based AirAsia Bhd. and Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA). Its first flight was from Tokyo to Fukuoka.

The budget carrier will operate daily round-trip flights on the Tokyo-Fukuoka route, as well as a route between Tokyo and Sapporo from Wednesday and one between Tokyo and Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, from Friday.

AirAsia Japan also plans to start international services, linking Tokyo with Seoul and Busan in South Korea from Oct. 1, according to local media reports.

The two other low-cost airlines operating in Japan are Peach Aviation Ltd., also partly owned by ANA, and Jetstar Japan Co., funded partly by Japan Airlines Co..

While Peach Aviation is mainly operating flights from its base at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Jetstar runs services out of its base at Tokyo's Narita airport.