TOKYO, Oct. 15, 2018 - All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest and 5-star airline for six consecutive years, is expanding its services to Europe with the upcoming launch of a new daily non-stop route flying a Boeing 787-9 from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Vienna International Airport. Service begins on February 17, 2019, and will be the cornerstone of ANA's strategy to meet growing business demand for flights connecting Asia and Europe.
In addition to its appeal as a tourist destination, recently ranked as the most livable city in the world, Vienna is well positioned to act as a connecting hub for further travel within Europe through its joint venture partnership with Austrian Airlines, a member of the LH Group. With Vienna-based flights to 68 other European cities, the Lufthansa Group's significant presence in the Austrian capital and the airport's rapid 25 to 50-minute minimum connection time makes reaching other cities on the continent simple and straightforward. Likewise, ANA's partnership with the Lufthansa group will allow it to meet the increased demand for Japan-bound flights from Austria and neighboring countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Poland. The addition of Vienna brings ANA's total number of European non-stop flights to eight and marks the seventh city in Europe and the 44th *2 city outside Japan to be served by ANA.
Seiichi Takahashi, Senior Vice President of ANA said, "Next year Japan and Austria will commemorate the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and we are pleased to make our award-winning air travel more convenient for travelers from both nations. Vienna is known as the historical and geographical gateway to Central and Eastern Europe, and we look forward to strengthening ties between Japan and this dynamic region by offering flights that are ideal for business travelers and tourists."
Demand for flights to Europe has increased in part due to the strengthened economic relationship between Japan and the European Union. As the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) lowers economic barriers, ANA aims to make travel just as convenient. As part of ANA's comprehensive drive to boost business traveler convenience, flights from Haneda and Vienna will arrive in the early morning, perfect for business travelers and tourists to make the most of the day or easily connect to ANA's extensive domestic network.
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The expansion of flights to Vienna is part of ANA's "Tokyo metropolitan area dual hub model" that harnesses the global reach of both Haneda and Narita airports as the company looks for opportunities to increase its international network and achieve steady growth.