Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) has outlined its proposed route network and corporate plan for the financial year commencing April 1, 2012. Its planned new Boeing 787 routes to San Jose and Seattle, revealed last year (see ‘ANA Confirms New US Routes for Dreamliner’), dominate the new schedule which will see available seat kilometers (ASKs) for international passenger flights increase by 11.2 per cent, ASKs for domestic flights by 2.6 per cent and cargo flight ASKs by 3.3 per cent.
ANA says its route strategy for the year ahead will be “driven” by the expansion of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet with 20 out of an order for 55 aircraft due to have been delivered by March 31, 2013. The first of its aircraft configured for long-range missions will be used on the new links from Tokyo Narita to San Jose and Seattle, strengthening its joint venture network with its Star Alliance partner United Airlines and capturing not only demand for flights between Japan and North America but also connecting flights from the Asian countries to North America via Japan.
The expansion in North America will be supported by network growth in China and the wider Asian market during the year ahead. ANA will introduce widebodied 767-300ER on its flights to Beijing Capital International Airport from both Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai, routes currently served using a mix of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 and 767 models. The airline also plans to introduce a second daily rotation on routes from Tokyo Narita to Beijing and Shanghai Hongqiao, subject to ongoing discussions with authorities over the Air Services Agreement between Japan and China.
A notable growth is also planned in the domestic market with the delivery of additional 787s leading to the type being introduced on further routes. The aircraft was introduced on links from Tokyo Henada to the airports of Okayama, Hiroshima, Itami, Yamaguchi-Ube and Matsuyama in the current financial year and plans have already been announced to introduce the type on flights to Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima during the first half of the next financial year. ANA confirms that it “intends to add more routes as we receive further Boeing 787s” during the second half of the year but has yet to announce its operational plans.
A highlight of its new domestic schedule will be the launch of a four times daily service between Tokyo Haneda and Iwakuni Airport during the Northern Winter 2012/2013 schedule. The latter facility is due to reopen for civilian air services after a 48 year period of exclusive military operation. ANA will also increase flights from Osaka Itami with additional weekly frequencies to Sendai, Niigata, Fukuoka and Oita, will re-open routes between Narita and Niigata as well as between Fukuoka and Miyazaki, increase flights on the Fukuoka - Niigata route as well as modifying frequency (both up and down) on other routes.
ANA will also continue with its fleet renewal during the year ahead with the arrival of the additional 787s enabling it to gradually retire its Airbus A320s, Boeing 747-400Ds and 767-300s currently flying in the domestic market. The airline will also continue to retire its Bombardier Dash 8-Q300 and focus its regional activities around the larger Dash 8-Q400 turboprop during the year ahead.
ANA is currently the largest domestic airline in Japan and this month it is offering more than 6,800 departures within the country offering over one million available seats. It holds a 49.3 per cent share of the weekly capacity in the domestic skies and 61.6 per cent more capacity than its closest rival JAL. However, it is JAL that currently dominates the international market from Japan with a 14.7 per cent share of the capacity, slightly more than ANA’s own 13.5 per cent (click here to view the latest air capacity statistics from Japan).
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