ANA Holdings says its Air Japan (Tokyo Haneda) subsidiary will be reborn as a boutique carrier during the second half of its FY2023/4 cycle (i.e. between October 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024).
During a press conference in Tokyo on March 8, Air Japan President Hideki Mineguchi said the carrier would operate B787-8s out of Tokyo Narita on routes within Asia and Oceania that may not be profitable within the ANA - All Nippon Airways (NH, Tokyo Haneda) cost structure. He highlighted that Air Japan would not be a low-cost carrier akin to rival JAL Group's ZIPAIR (ZG, Tokyo Narita) and will instead be a hybrid between the LCC and full-service model.
“We are excited to begin unveiling AirJapan and the selectable service and comfortable cabin experience it will offer passengers,” he said. “By focusing on medium-haul international routes, the ANA Group will be better equipped to meet emerging trends for international travel at a competitive price. We are proud to be part of the team that is increasing options for travelers while also bringing the same commitment to quality and safety found across the ANA Group.”
In its October 2020 restructuring plan, ANA Holdings had originally intended to relaunch Air Japan between the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023 as a means of meeting travel demand that ANA All Nippon and low-cost carrier Peach Aviation (MM, Osaka Kansai) themselves cannot.
Mineguchi said the revamped Air Japan aims to grow its fleet by two B787-8s per year and will focus on its new task alone.
