All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival Japan Airlines.[5] As of, the airline has approximately 12,800 employees.[6] The airline joined as a Star Alliance member in October 1999.
In addition to its mainline operations, ANA controls several subsidiary passenger carriers,[7] such as its regional airline ANA Wings, Air Nippon, Air Do (a low-cost carrier operating scheduled service between Tokyo and cities in Hokkaido), Air Japan and Allex Cargo (ANA Cargo – the freighter division operated by Air Japan). Peach Aviation, a low-cost carrier based in Japan, is fully owned by ANA.[8]
History
Formation
ANA's earliest ancestor was Japan Helicopter and Aeroplane Transports Company (日本ヘリコプター輸送) (also known as Nippon Helicopter and Aeroplane), an airline company founded on 27 December 1952.[9] Nippon Helicopter was the source of what would later be ANA's International Air Transport Association (IATA) airline code, NH.[10]
NH began helicopter services in February 1953. On 15 December 1953, it operated its first cargo flight between Osaka and Tokyo using a de Havilland Dove, JA5008.[9] This was the first scheduled flight flown by a Japanese pilot in postwar Japan. Passenger service on the same route began on 1 February 1954, and was upgraded to a de Havilland Heron in March.[11]
Parent company
ANA Holdings Inc. was created in April 2013 due to the "changing landscape of the airline industry", with competition against low cost carriers cited as one of the reasons. The new holding company would have over 70 companies under it, most notably All Nippon Airways, but also low cost subsidiaries such as Peach Aviation, and other catering and ground operations companies. The holding company is led by a separate chairman and CEO.[38]
Senior leadership
- Chairman: Shinya Katanozaka (since April 2022)
- President and Chief Executive: Koji Shibata (since April 2022)
List of former chairmen
- 1) Yoji Ohashi (2013–2015)
- 2) Shinichiro Ito (2015–2022)
List of former presidents and chief executives
Corporate affairs and identity
President and chief executive officer
All Nippon Airways has been led by only a president and CEO since April 2013, when a new parent company was formed. The chairman of All Nippon Airways became the chairman of the holding company, and All Nippon Airways ceased to have its own chairman. The following is a list of presidents and CEOs, along with the year of their appointment:[39]
- 1) Masuichi Midoro – 1952
- 2) Kaheita Okazaki – 1961
- 3) Isamu Morimura – 1967
- 4) Tetsuo Oba – 1969
- 5) Tokuji Wakasa – 1970
- 6) Masamichi Anzai – 1976
- 7) Taizo Nakamura – 1983
- 8) Akio Kondo – 1987
- 9) Seiji Fukatsu – 1993
Destinations
ANA has an extensive domestic route network that covers the entirety of Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. ANA's international route network extends through China, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Canada, United States, Mexico, Australia, and Western Europe. Its key international hub is Narita International Airport, where it shares the South Wing of Terminal 1 with its Star Alliance partners,[66] though Haneda Airport is becoming a major international hub due to its close proximity with downtown Tokyo and the mass expansions occurring there.
ANA's international network currently focuses on business destinations; its only remaining "resort" routes are its routes from Haneda and Narita to Honolulu; past resort routes such as Narita-Guam, Kansai-Honolulu and Nagoya-Honolulu have been cancelled, although ANA plans to expand resort service in the future through its low-cost subsidiary Peach Aviation.[67]
Interline agreements
All Nippon Airways have interline agreements with the following airline partners:
Fleet
Current fleet
As of August 2025, All Nippon Airways operates the following aircraft:[91]
Gallery
Fleet development
On 31 July 2014, ANA firmed up orders for 7 Airbus A320neos, 23 Airbus A321neos, 20 Boeing 777-9s, 14 Boeing 787-9s and 6 Boeing 777-300ERs, to be used for its short and long-haul fleet renewal. Boeing valued ANA's order at approximately $13 billion at list prices.[101]
On 2 February 2015, ANA placed orders with Airbus and Boeing worth $2.2bn for three Boeing 787-10s, five Boeing 737-800s and seven Airbus A321s.[102] In late July 2015, ANA entered into a secret agreement with Airbus to make additional orders in the future (number and model(s) of aircraft unidentified) in exchange for Airbus support of ANA plans to invest in bankrupt
Liveries
The ANA former "Mohican" livery consists of a blue and white color scheme painted as strip sections on the fuselage, with a blue vertical stabilizer with the former ANA logo. All aircraft wearing this livery are either retired or repainted. In 2010, one Boeing 767-300 was repainted in this livery.
In 1982, ANA officially introduced the "Triton blue" livery, which has a white and grey fuselage, with a blue strip painted under the windows, and the vertical stabilizer is painted blue with the word ANA painted sideways. The Japanese flag, airline's Japanese name and full English name were painted black on top of windows at forward fuselage, while aircraft for domestic flights only have the flag and Japanese name.
Following the introduction of "Triton blue" livery, ANA revamped the livery for multiple times. After few year of original introduction, aircraft such as YS-11, 727, 737-200, and 767-200, which use bare metal belly, replaced with standard grey belly instead. In 2002, as part of airline's rebranding from 1999 to 2002 financial difficulties, ANA replaced the airline's Japanese name and full English name to just ANA logo, while the Japanese flag were moved on below the windows at rear fuselage. Since 2013, to promote "Inspiration of Japan" concept, the second Japanese flag is added before ANA logo, similar to the original livery, and slogan "Inspiration of Japan" is added after ANA logo.
Since 2002, ANA's carter and regional brands are merged their livery to ANA's, while the brand name were written in all-capital after ANA logo. Since 2013, to avoid newly added "Inspiration of Japan" slogan, the brand name were moved to the rear fuselage before the smaller Japanese flag instead.
Special liveries
Services
New cabin
Introduced in 2009, the "Inspiration of Japan" cabin features included fully-lie-flat-bed business class seats, nearly enclosed first class suite seats, fixed shell back seats in both of its economy classes, a new AVOD in-flight entertainment system (based on Panasonic Avionics Corporation's eX2 IFE system with iPod connectivity, in-seat shopping and meal ordering as well as cabin touchscreen consoles) as well as improvements to its in-flight service. ANA will introduced a new lounge (which opened on 20 February 2010, supposed to be in coincidence with the introduction of new aircraft interiors but delayed) and check-in concept (later in autumn 2010) at Narita for first class and ANA Mileage Club's Diamond Service elite members.[137]
The introduction of the concept also discontinued the use of the name "Club ANA", which was used for its international business class seats (changing into a generic business class name) as well as the name of the lounges (all lounges for both first class and business class are named "ANA Lounge", with the first class lounge called the "ANA Suite Lounge" and its arrival lounge the "ANA Arrival Lounge").[138]
This "Inspiration of Japan" concept was originally set to debut on 20 February 2010 with the delivery of its new Boeing 777-300ER prior to that date, followed by the introduction of the concept on that date on the Narita-New York route.
In popular culture
- ANA sponsored the film Happy Flight, which is about a co-pilot and flight attendant on an ANA flight to Hawaii.[150]
- ANA was featured in Miss Pilot, a Japanese television drama about a female pilot.
- ANA sponsored the Japanese television drama Good Luck!!, which is about a group of airline crew members. The series starred Takuya Kimura, Shinichi Tsutsumi and Kou Shibasaki.
- The title for All Nippon Air Line, a Josei manga by Kei Azumaya that was inspired by All Nippon Airways.
- Some of ANA's aircraft were Pokémon themed. Special exclusive promotional cards were also given out to passengers during certain Pokémon marketing campaigns. As of 2016, most of ANA's Pokémon themed jets have been either retired or repainted. In 2023, ANA reintroduced the Pokémon themed jets with a Boeing 787-9 (JA894A) and a Boeing 777-300ER (JA784A) after 7 years.[151]
Award and recognition
On 24 June 2024, ANA was voted 2024 Best Airport Services in the World and Best Airline Staff Service in Asia by Skytrax. The airline also scooped the runners-up awards for Best Cabin Staff in the World and Cleanest Airline in the World during the same ceremony.[152]
Accidents and incidents
- On 12 August 1958, Flight 025, a Douglas DC-3 (JA5045), crashed 17 km off Toshima, one hour after takeoff from Tokyo en route to Nagoya, killing all 33 on board.[153]
- In 1958, dynamite was planted in a Douglas DC-3 by Akira Emoto, a candy salesman, as part of a suicide plan. Emoto killed himself by leaping from the aircraft and the bombs failed to detonate.[154]
- On 16 March 1960, Douglas DC-3 JA5018 was taxiing after landing at Nagoya-Komaki International Airport when North American F-86D Sabre 94-8137 of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) collided with its aft fuselage and tail section while attempting to take off, killing 3 of 33 on board. Although the Sabre crashed and burned, the pilot survived.[155]
- On 12 June 1961, Vickers Viscount G-APKJ was written off when the starboard undercarriage collapsed following a heavy landing at Osaka Itami Airport.
See also
- Aviation
- Air transport in Japan
- List of airports in Japan
- List of Japanese companies
- Transport in Japan
- Yokohama Flügels, former football club
- Oriental Land Company (0.18%)
External links
- All Nippon Airways Trading Company
- ANA Net (archive)
- ANA Star Wars Project
- Wiki collection of bibliographic works on All Nippon Airways
References
- Airline Membership IATA, retrieved 1 October 2012^
- ANA Annual Report 2022 ANA Holdings Inc., 2022, retrieved 11 March 2021^
- Strategic Update retrieved 15 April 2014^