•ANA plans to accelerate growth by expanding its international network.
•New state-of-the-art aircraft will be introduced to further improve passenger comfort.
•ANA set to unveil a large-scale cargo aircraft to meet demand for flights between Asia and North America.
TOKYO, Jan. 23, 2019 - All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest 5-star airline for six consecutive years, has announced its Fiscal Year 2019 (FY2019) flight schedule. Based on the rising global demand for air travel, ANA has expanded its network of routes, placing an emphasis on international flights. During FY2019, ANA plans to proactively develop new routes to areas where service was not previously available. New destinations include Perth in Western Australia and Chennai in Southern India. These decisions were based on ANA Group's Mid-Term Corporate Strategy for FY2018-2022. ANA will further strengthen the "Tokyo Metropolitan Dual Hub Model" that makes full use of both Haneda and Narita airports.
ANA will continue to maintain and improve profitability by optimizing the size of the aircraft in accordance with demand trends and the competitive environment, all while also flexibly adjusting aircraft types in use.
Building upon the changes to its passenger side, ANA's potential to meet demand for cargo transport will also increase with the introduction of a new Boeing 777F large-scale air freighter. This coincides with projected increases in demand over the medium to long term for routes between Asia and North America.
The airline also aims to further increase the comfort of passengers by introducing new state-of-the-art aircraft, products and services. ANA will employ Japan's first Airbus A380 aircraft on its Hawaii route, providing a new travel experience. In addition, ANA plans to improve profitability by introducing the Boeing 787-10, the latest model in the Boeing 787 series, to its Southeast Asian routes. This new addition is expected to capture the increasing demand for connection traffic via Japan.
ANA will work to improve its punctuality and other high-quality services to continue upholding the airline's 5-star legacy for the sixth consecutive year.
Below are the details of ANA's schedule and frequency for the international, domestic, and freighter routes.
*Flight plans are subject to government approval. All schedules are subject to change.
International Routes
Following the launch of the Haneda-Vienna route on February 17, 2019, ANA will continue opening up new routes worldwide. On September 1, Narita = Perth daily service will be available and Narita = Chennai daily service will be available for the 2019 winter schedule period. These are cities where there are no direct flights from Japan. The new flights will provide convenient travel options for ANA passengers and appeal to the increasing number of travelers flying these routes.
ANA is expecting the flow of people and goods in the Asia-Pacific region to further expand with the strengthening of key economic partnerships such as RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership). By opening a new route, ANA will contribute to expanding commercial exchange between Japan and Australia as well as between Japan and India. The new routes will also strengthen the air travel network in the Asia-Oceania region, and further enhancing the presence of ANA in this vital market.
(1) New routes
1.Narita = Perth
From Sept. 1, 2019, ANA will be the first airline in Japan to provide a route from Narita to Perth, Australia. This will be ANA's second destination in Oceania.
- In addition to business demand from key industries - including mineral resources and natural resources - ANA will capture the increasing demand for travel to and from Japan.
- Perth is said to be the "most beautiful city in the world" and is Western Australia's largest city. It features an elegant blend of historic and modern architecture with public green spaces.
- Since the seasons are reversed in Japan and Perth, there is a stable market for two-way leisure travel throughout the year.
Reservation and sales will start on Feb. 7, 2019.
2.Narita = Chennai
Starting in winter 2019, ANA will begin to operate flights from Narita to Chennai, India, marking the first direct connection between Japan and Chennai. This will be the third destination in India that ANA will offer service to.
- India sends many visitors to Japan, and demand for travel to the country is increasing annually as economic growth continues. ANA intends to capitalize on this growth by opening the only direct flight from Japan to South India.
- Chennai has the second largest port in India and has an established automobile industry. Chennai is also called the "Detroit of India," so cargo demand can be anticipated in addition to passenger demand.
- In addition, ANA will acquire travel demand from neighboring areas including Bengaluru (Bangalore) and Hyderabad, which are growing rapidly as the base of the Indian IT industry.
- Information about the launch date, schedule, aircraft and timing for the start of sales will be announced when it becomes available.
(2) Resumed routes and increased frequency
(3) Changes in aircraft
Starting May 24, 2019, ANA will start operating the world's largest passenger aircraft - the Airbus A380 - between Narita and Honolulu. The route will start with three round trips per week and will be expanded to 10 round trips per week from July 1, 2019, when ANA introduces its second Airbus A380 aircraft.
In addition, a 294 seat Boeing 787-10 (the latest and longest model in the Boeing 787 series) will serve the Narita - Singapore route from April 26, 2019, and Narita - Bangkok starting July 1, 2019, in order to capture the increasing demand for connection traffic via Japan.
Domestic Routes
ANA will continue its Haneda = Ishigaki, Haneda = Okinawa and Haneda = Hiroshima routes to capture the significant demand for travel between these destinations. In addition, ANA will increase the number of Narita = Nagoya (Chubu) flights to meet demand for international connections from the region to flights such as Narita = Honolulu flying on an Airbus A380. By providing customers visiting Japan access to flights all over the country, ANA will further increase its network of both domestic and international routes.
ANA will continue to maintain and improve profitability by optimizing the size of its aircraft in accordance with demand trends and market factors while also flexibly adjusting aircraft types in use.
(1) Resumed routes and increased frequency
Cargo Route
Cargo demand between Asia and North America is expected to increase over the medium to long term and ANA will respond with the introduction of a Boeing 777F aircraft capable of transporting large cargo. As freight demand grows alongside passenger demand, ANA will actively work to increase its share of both.
(1) New routes
(2) Changes in aircraft
(3) Reduced frequency
(4) Suspended routes
Midnight flights will be suspended due to changes in the market demand.