All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, has announced the planned purchase of $16 billions’ (¥1700 billions’) worth of airplanes to expand its fleet in preparation for an anticipated spike in travel ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as predicted accelerated growth in the number of passengers over the next six years.
The airline says it is buying 40 Boeing and 30 Airbus aircraft.
This is the largest purchase in the company’s history, ANA said. The new planes will be delivered during fiscal years 2016-2017, increasing its fleet size to 250 aircraft.
Significant rise in tourists visiting Japan expected
Japanese authorities expect the number of visitors coming to the country to reach 20 million in the lead up to the Olympics.
The purchase includes:
- Twenty Boeing 777-9X, a large twin-aisle airplanes with fifteen percent larger seating capacity. It is a successor to ANA’s existing fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs. In addition, six Boeing 777-300ER to support the airline’s expansion of its international flights until delivery of Boeing 777-9X.
- Fourteen medium-sized Boeing 787-9 aircraft, taking its total fleet of Dreamliners to 80. ANA has more Dreamliners than any other airline worldwide.
- Thirty smaller single-aisle planes from the A320 family – 7 x A320neo airplanes and 23 x A321neo aircraft. They will replace its existing fleet of A320ceo and B737-500.
The new Airbus airplanes will be used both for international and domestic flights, while the Boeing aircraft will be used mainly on international routes.
ANA aiming to become a global leading airline
ANA President and CEO, Shinichiro Ito, said:
“The aircraft we have selected will enable us to modernize and expand our fleet further as we seek to become one of the world’s leading airline groups. These new aircraft will give us maximum flexibility and improved fuel efficiency and will allow us to meet the growth in demand, both internationally and in our domestic Japanese market.”
Order a huge relief for Boeing
The new order is an enormous boost for Boeing’s presence in Japan. Last year, the US aircraft maker lost a large deal with Japan Airlines to Airbus. The loss had analysts wondering whether its 80% market share in Japan might slip. ANA had several problems with Boeing’s Dreamliner last year.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner, said:
“ANA and Boeing share a long and successful partnership that spans more than five decades. ANA helped launch the 787 Dreamliner with Boeing, and we are honored to once again have ANA as an early customer of the 777X family of airplanes. We are very proud that they operate an all-Boeing widebody fleet.”