ANA restores Kuala Lumpur link.

On September 1st, All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] resumed Kuala Lumpur/Sepang [KUL/WMKK] with daily nonstop service from Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] using 240-seat (42 business and 198 economy class) Boeing 787-8s, ending a 13-year hiatus (ANA reveals Kuala Lumpur and expansion at Narita.). ANA used to serve the city via Bangkok/Don Mueang [DMK/VTBD] until January 14th, 2002.

Boeing 787-8 JA829A prepares for departure from Narita for their first flight to Kuala Lumpur on September 1st. ANA's Dreamliner fleet is comprised of 34 -8s and seven -9s, with another two and 36 on order, respectively, along with three -10s. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Inaugural flight NH815 departed Narita on-time at 1720 JST with a load of 227 passengers. It took off 18 minutes later. "We have been strengthening our Asian network, and Kuala Lumpur had been at the top of our wishlist," said Osamu Shinobe, President of ANA, adding "We expect Asia – North America travel to account for 40%. With Narita's departure and arrival timed for connections, Star Alliance's unfinished business here is how to connect at the Malaysia end."

Flight Schedule:
Narita – Kuala Lumpur/Sepang NEW 1 daily with 787-8.
NH815 NRT 1720 – 2335 KUL 788 Daily
NH816 KUL 0700 – 1500 NRT 788 Daily 

The new round-trip is timed to receive feed from North American arrivals at Narita, while the departure from Kuala Lumpur is timed for onward connections across the Pacific after arriving into Narita.

The route sees competition from Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] with a daily flight operated by 767-300ERs and Malaysia Airlines [MH/MAS] with 10 times weekly flown with Airbus A330-300s. AirAsia X [D7/XAX] suspended its Narita link effective August 20th, though it continues to operate daily from Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT], the preferred downtown airport serving Japan's capital.

Source: Aviation Wire, 2015 September 1st. (in Japanese)

ANA announces Boeing 777 and 767 Star Wars Jets.

On August 18th, All Nippon Airways [NH/ANA] revealed two more Star Wars-themed special livery aircraft, in addition to Boeing 787-9 JA873A R2-D2 ANA JET (ANA reveals Star Wars Project.), the design of which was disclosed in April. 777-381/ER JA789A will be adorned with BB-8 to become BB-8 ANA JET and ply intercontinental skies while 767-381/ER JA604A will be painted as STAR WARS ANA JET and fly domestic routes. 

An impression of Boeing 777-381/ER JA789A BB-8 ANA JET. ANA has 22 777-300ERs in service, with six more on order. 20 777-9X have also been ordered. (Image: ANA)

BB-8 ANA JET will enter service in March 2016 and be deployed on mostly North American flights, while STAR WARS ANA JET will inaugurate service in November 2015. Meanwhile, ANA also announced that R2-D2 ANA JET will enter revenue service on October 18th as flight NH116 from Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT] to Vancouver [YVR/CYVR]. It will also fly to Beijing/Capital [PEK/ZBAA], Jakarta/Soekarno-Hatta [CGK/WIII], Munich [MUC/EDDM], Paris/Charles de Gaulle [CDG/LFPG], San Jose [SJC/KSJC], and Sydney/Kingsford Smith [SYD/YSSY] (ANA announces Haneda – Sydney.).

Boeing 767-381/ER JA604A STAR WARS ANA JET. Formerly an international-configured example, this aircraft now plies domestic skies in a 270-seat (10 Premium Class and 260 economy) layout. (Image: ANA)

One day prior to inaugurating service, R2-D2 ANA JET will be deployed on a scenic flight from Haneda. 39 winners from a photo contest on ANA's website that will end on September 18th will be invited, and all members of ANA Mileage Club (AMC) are also eligible to apply for a scarce 25 groups of two made available. "When we announced the Star Wars-themed 787, its popularity was overwhelming. So we opted for two more. The jets will start roaming the world's skies in October. I hope it would be loved by all," commented Osamu Shinobe, President of ANA.

ANA will also add all six previous episodes from the series to its in-flight entertainment line-up between November this year and January 2016; episodes four to six will be aired from November to December, while episodes one to three will be shown from December to January. The five-year Star Wars Project in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company (Japan) will take advantage of the unveiling of The Force Awakens, the series' latest episode to be released in December, to bolster ANA's brand-awareness in the international arena. Japan's largest carrier is gradually shifting focus to the international market, where demand for inbound visitors to Japan and Asia – North America travel is growing, while the domestic market remains lucrative but is shrinking.

Source: All Nippon Airways, 2015 August 18th. (in Japanese)

ANA to expand Narita international ops in FY2015.

All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) will expand its international network at Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) in FY2015, according to Osamu Shinobe, President of ANA speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on October 8th. Although he refrained from giving details, ANA is considering adding five new round-trips that would "strengthen Narita as a major connecting hub between Asia and North America." The five would include new cities as well as frequency increases.

Boeing 767-381/ER(WL) JA624A arrives into Narita. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

On March 30th this year, ANA's international presence at Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT), the preferred downtown airport serving the capital, jumped from 13 round-trips covering 10 routes to 23 round-trips covering 17 destinations (ANA's Summer 2014 international expansion.). Now that Haneda has grown to about 60 - 70% the size of ANA's Narita operations, the focus is back on Narita, which will gradually increase slots, while Haneda will not see any more slots available in the near term.

"We will continue to pursue our Haneda/Narita dual-hub strategy. Narita is an important international hub and we will continue to grow there," added Shinichiro Ito, President and CEO of ANA Holdings, parent of ANA. The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) enforces an unspoken rule that all carriers flying international routes out of Haneda must fly to that country from Narita as well. Asked about what is commonly referred to as the 'Narita rule', Mr. Ito told "It would be best for airlines to have freedom, but international routes are agreements between two nations and we must respect that."

New overseas partnerships are on the horizon, with Mr. Shinobe revealing "We are considering a partnership with Avianca." ANA will also not hesitate to look outside of Star Alliance, with a new pact reached with Philippine Airlines (PR/PAL) on October 1st and the signing of deeper relations with Brazil's TAM (JJ/TAM), now a Oneworld member, on October 7th. A proposed 3 billion JPY investment in Myanmar's Asian Wings Airways (YJ/AWM) has been shelved after the market became overcrowded, but Mr. Ito said "We will continue to look for investments where there are potential synergies. A few are already on the table for evaluation," without disclosing any. Vietnam Airlines (VN/HVN) is thought to be one of them.

Meanwhile, ANA's first experiment with a red-eye domestic flight this summer on the Haneda – Okinawa/Naha (OKA/ROAH) route (ANA offers red-eye Haneda - Okinawa 'Galaxy Flight'.) saw an average load factor of 82%, and the carrier is considering making it a regularly scheduled flight. 16,000 passengers were carried between July 18th and August 31st on the round-trip flight which is usually a cargo flight that is operated by a passenger aircraft using only its belly space.

Asked whether Japan's raising of sales tax by 3% to 8% from April this year is having an effect, Mr. Ito responded "I'm aware that overall people's spendings have decreased, but for travel, that has not been the case."

Reference: Reuters Japan, October 8th. (in Japanese) 
Reference: Aviation Wire, October 9th. (in Japanese)

ANA's Boeing 787-9 enters service.

All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) became the first airline in the world to place the Boeing 787-9 into scheduled revenue service on August 7th, when JA830A, their first of the stretched Dreamliner, inaugurated operations on the Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) – Fukuoka (FUK/RJFF) route (ANA to fly Boeing 787-9 inaugural on August 7th.). The aircraft also flew to Osaka/Itami (ITM/RJOO) and Matsuyama (MYJ/RJOM) later in the day.

Boeing 787-9 JA830A at Spot 60 at Haneda Airport with staff carrying a banner reading 'Fly with ANA on the 787-9 Dreamliner'. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

The inaugural flight, NH241, departed Spot 60 of Haneda's Terminal 2 at 0730 JST with 387 passengers (including 11 infants) and 11 crew. It was piloted by Captains Katsuki Ikeda and Yuichi Yamamoto, with Ikeda-san in command, while the Chief Purser was Kazuyo Nishizono. President and CEO Osamu Shinobe was also present at the ceremony that took place at the gate. ANA took delivery of JA830A on August 27th and it arrived at Haneda on July 29th (ANA takes delivery of first Boeing 787-9.). It operated a special sightseeing flight carrying Japanese and American primary (elementary) school students on August 4th (ANA flies world's first Boeing 787-9 passenger flight.).

Compared to the 787-8, the Dash 9 incorporates an additional 3.05-meter section in both the forward and aft of the fuselage, stretching the airframe by 6.1 meters. It can fly approximately 555 kilometers farther than the original version. Compared to the 767-300ER, the second member of the Dreamliner family can carry 1.2 times more passengers and cargo, and fuel economy will also be 23% better, according to ANA. The airline has said the 787-8 is 20% better than the 767-300ER.

Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, ANA's domestic 787-9s are being configured in a 395-seat layout with 18 Premium Class (six abreast; 2-2-2) and 377 economy class (nine abreast; 3-3-3) seats, carrying 60 more passengers (six Premium Class and 54 economy) than their domestic 787-8s. Another domestic 787-9, registered JA833A, will be delivered this autumn, while the first long-haul international 787-9 configured with 215 seats (48 business, 21 premium economy, and 146 economy) will be delivered in early 2015. ANA is the biggest 787 customer to date, with orders counting 36 787-8s (28 delivered), and 44 787-9s (1 delivered).

Reference: Aviation Wire, August 7th. (in Japanese)

ANA returns to Aomori with Osaka and Sapporo flights.

On July 1st, All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) resumed scheduled service at Aomori (AOJ/RJSA) with three daily round-trips to and from Osaka/Itami (ITM/RJOO) and two to and from Sapporo/New Chitose (CTS/RJCC). Operated by subsidiary ANA Wings' (EH/AKX) 74-seat Bombardier DHC-8-400Qs, the flights mark the return of now Japan's largest airline by passenger volume to Honshu's northernmost airport after a 11-year hiatus.

Bombardier DHC-8-402Q JA845A arriving at Aomori from Sapporo's New Chitose as NH1853 on July 1st, the inaugural day. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The inaugural flight out of Aomori, NH1852, service to Itami, was operated by DHC-8-402Q JA856A with a load of 73 passengers. The aircraft had been ferried in to Aomori the night before. Sistership JA853A became the first to arrive, as NH1851 from Itami, and was greeted by a water-cannon salute.

Flight schedule (July 1st - October 25th):
Osaka/Itami – Aomori NEW 3 daily with DHC-8-400Q. *Operated by ANA Wings.
NH1851 ITM 0815 – 1000 AOJ DH4 Daily
NH1853 ITM 1155 – 1340 AOJ DH4 Daily
NH1855 ITM 1910 – 2055 AOJ DH4 Daily
NH1852 AOJ 0805 – 1000 ITM DH4 Daily
NH1854 AOJ 1310 – 1505 ITM DH4 Daily
NH1856 AOJ 1740 – 1935 ITM DH4 Daily

Aomori – Sapporo/New Chitose NEW 2 daily with DHC-8-400Q. *Operated by ANA Wings.
NH1897 AOJ 1030 – 1120 CTS DH4 Daily
NH1899 AOJ 1510 – 1600 CTS DH4 Daily
NH1898 CTS 1150 – 1240 AOJ DH4 Daily
NH1900 CTS 1615 – 1705 AOJ DH4 Daily
 
A ceremony took place at Aomori Airport, attended by Aomori Prefecture Governor Shingo Mimura, Aomori City Governor Hiroshi Shikanai, and ANA's Executive Vice President for Sales and Marketing Takashi Shiki. ANA President Osamu Shinobe visited Mr. Mimura one day before. "We've been waiting for this moment. We would like to strengthen our partnerships with the Kansai (Greater Osaka) region to promote tourism and help the route grow," said Mr. Mimura, adding "Ahead of that lies another big ambition," hoping for ANA's resumption of their Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) link. Mr. Shiki responded, "We have a big international network from Haneda now (ANA's Summer 2014 international expansion.). We also share the desire to open up Aomori's charm to the world."

The brand-new ANA counters at Aomori with celebration flower decorations. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

 
Aomori has seen turbulent times in recent years. In FY2003, its annual passenger number recorded 1.41 million, however, after the merger of Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) and Japan Air System (JD/JAS) was complete, ANA withdrew from Aomori in April that year, axing its link to Haneda and shifting the precious slots to more lucrative routes. Skymark Airlines (BC/SKY) briefly filled the vacancy but withdrew in November. JAL's financial woes forced the airline to cut its link to Fukuoka (FUK/RJFF) in 2007 and Nagoya/Chubu Centrair (NGO/RJGG) in 2010. Dealing a further blow, the opening of the super-efficient Shinkansen (bullet train) to Aomori in 2010 followed shortly by the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake reduced the number to merely 800,000 for FY2010.

The Nagoya link was restarted by Fuji Dream Airlines (JH/FDA) with service (CoachFlyer JH366: AOJ – NKM on Fuji Dream Airlines' Embraer E175.) to its older airport at Komaki (NKM/RJNA) in 2011. Other than the ANA and FDA flights, Aomori is served by Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) with three-times daily each to New Chitose and Itami (operated by J-Air), and six-times daily to Haneda, while Korean Air (KE/KAL) maintains a three-times weekly service to Seoul/Incheon (ICN/RKSI) (CoachFlyer KE768: AOJ - ICN on Korean Air's Boeing 737.), the prefecture's sole scheduled international route. Passenger numbers slightly increased to 850,000 for FY2013.

Arriving passengers were greeted by ANA banners promoting the Aomori launch. To the right is a miniature version of Aomori's renowned Nebuta. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

For ANA, the resumption is also a strategy to experiment potential markets in Japan's mature domestic market (at least at ANA/JAL's costs) where the population has started to decline. ANA's most recent new domestic destination was Iwakuni (IWK/RJOI) in eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture, when the joint U.S. Air Force (USAF) - Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) base was opened up for civilian flights in December 2012.

Aomori hopes ANA's comeback will boost demand. In 2011, when ANA entered the Akita (AXT/RJSK) – Itami market in competition with JAL, passengers carried on the route increased from 100,000 in FY2011 to 170,000 in FY2013. On the other hand, airports such as Yamaguchi-Ube (UBJ/RJDC) saw passengers decline after JAL entered the ANA-dominated market in FY2002; the figure was 960,000 for FY2003 but had decreased to 850,000 in FY2013. Prefecture officials hope it doesn't "end up with both carriers losing money and terminating the route," and JAL's Aomori Office chief Yutaka Fukuda said "There's certainly potential demand. But two carriers serving the route doesn't mean the market will grow overnight. We need to make efforts."

Aomori is one of the most beautiful and diverse prefectures of Japan, but remains an under-served and under-explored tourist destination. From the Hakkoda Mountains, which gets heavier annual snowfall than anywhere else in Japan, to the renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shirakami-Sanchi, picturesque Lake Towada to the nature abundant Shimokita Peninsula, Aomori is filled with fascinating vast landscapes. On the culture side, it is home to the famous Nebuta festival, when the entire prefecture goes for celebration in August, as well as the Sannai-Maruyama Ruins, one of the oldest archaeological sites in Japan dating back to 3900 B.C., and much more. Food is no exception, with the Tsugaru cuisine and the Nanbu cuisine, and forget not the fresh fish (Sashimi and Sushi) from the surrounding seas and the herbs from the mountains. There are countless Onsens (public hot spring baths) as well. 

Reference: Yomiuri Shimbun, June 29th. (in Japanese)
Reference: Yomiuri Shimbun, July 2nd. (in Japanese) 

*Post edited/updated on July 5th.

End of an Era: ANA retires the Boeing 747.

On March 31st, All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) flew the Boeing 747's last revenue flights, a round-trip from Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) to Okinawa/Naha (OKA/ROAH) and back, ending 35 years of continuous 'Jumbo Jet' operations. It was flown by their last remaining airframe; Boeing 747-481/D JA8961, which was delivered to the airline back on May 13th, 1993, and had been plying Japan's domestic skies ever since.

Boeing 747-481/D JA8961 departs Haneda with Tokyo Skytree in the background. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

Flight NH127 departed Haneda's Spot 60 with 497 passengers and 17 crew (2 cockpit crew and 15 cabin attendants) at 0850, and took off from Runway 34R (C Runway) at 0902. The aircraft touched down at Naha at 1117. Return leg NH126, the final flight, departed Naha's Gate 32 about 24 minutes late at 1259 with a full load of 569 passengers (including four infants) and 17 crew, and made its last landing at Haneda at 1513. It was piloted by Captains Takeshi Kanda, who is retiring after the flight, and Hiroshi Fujimura, Chief of B747 Operations. Upon arrival, Chief Purser Yoko Chiba announced "From now, the beloved B747 will continue to fly in everyone's hearts".

A water-cannon salute greets NH126 as it arrives at Haneda's Spot 408. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

A water-cannon salute along with a number of ANA staff, including President and CEO Osamu Shinobe, greeted as JA8961 arrived at Spot 408 and came to a stop at 1530. At the subsequent retirement ceremony, Fujimura-san handed JA8961's logbook to Mr. Shinobe, who formerly worked as an engineer with the jetliner. "From anywhere you look, you know it's a B747. I would like to thank not only our customers, but our crew, engineers, ground staff, and all who worked with the jetliner for the past 35 years. And now, we will build on our experience with the B747", said Mr. Shinobe.

Passengers of NH126 take part in the B747's retirement ceremony. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

In the Captain's announcement aboard NH126, Fujimura-san told passengers "Thank you for flying with ANA, and Japan's final passenger Boeing 747 flight. For a very long time, the Jumbo Jet has been loved by everyone... and I would like to express our gratitude for your love with this airplane. Although it is the trend of the times, I regret seeing the retirement of the Jumbo Jet as I really love them. I have spent most of my pilot career with the Jumbo. So now, I would like to hand on my deepest love for this jet to the next generation". After arrival, he added "The Boeing 747 brought me up and made me what I am now as a pilot. The Jumbo is like a family member, like my parents. I guess it will take some time for me to get used to the fact that the final flight has been completed".

'Thanks Jumbo!' banner with numerous messages written by ANA staff at Haneda. (Photo: ANA)

ANA's first 'Queen of the Skies', a B747SR model, was delivered on December 20th, 1978, and inaugurated service on the Haneda to Fukuoka (FUK/RJFF) and Sapporo/New Chitose (CTS/RJCC) routes on January 29th, 1979. Their first B747-400, dubbed 'Techno Jumbo' entered service in November 1990, and the high-capacity domestic B747-400D came on-line in February 1992. Japan saw its first B747 when Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) placed its first example in service in April 1970, opening an era of mass-transportation. JAL eventually acquired a total of 108 brand-new B747s from Seattle, while ANA also bought 45, and during the type's 44-year service in the 'Land of the Rising Sun', it became synonymous with, or even one of the icons of Japan's rise as an economic powerhouse.

Captains Fujimura-san, Kanda-san, and the 15 flight attendants wearing ANA's eighth-generation uniforms pose after the final flight. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

JAL retired its last B747 in March 2011, and ANA retired their last international-configured B747-400 in the same month. Although the commercial passenger 'Jumbo' will be gone, Government of Japan's two B747-400s will keep on flying until 2018, while the freighter remains in service with Nippon Cargo Airlines (KZ/NCA), which operates B747-8Fs alongside B747-400Fs.

Thanks Jumbo. (Image: ANA)

I've written a flight report on a recent flight on JA8961 (CoachFlyer NH126: OKA - HND on All Nippon Airways' Boeing 747.). I hope to pay a tribute to the B747 on this blog in the coming weeks.

Source: Aviation Wire, March 31st. (in Japanese)
Source: FlyTeam, March 31st. (in Japanese)

*Post edited/updated on April 1st.