ANA's Windfall Expansion

ANA Takes All of Narita Increased Flights
December 25, 2009


Ministry of Land and Transport is going to give almost all of new capacity of flights for Japanese carriers at Narita to All Nippon Airways (ANA) when Narita will add 20,000 international flights annually in March 2010. This will be formally decided in next January. JAL, under corporate rehabilitation, apparently did not request its dividend as the ailing carrier is still in the process of air routes reduction. ANA will expand its international network especially in Asia Pacific region.

Currently ANA operates 26,000 flights annually at Narita while JAL has 47,000. In accordance with extension of one of runways due in March 2010, Narta's capacity to handle flights will increased to 220,000 flights from current 200 thousand.

The Ministry was accepting requests from both JAL and ANA but JAL did not and consequently ANA will be given almost of all increased capacity.

JAL, in its corporate rehabilitation plans, will reduce 21 air routes by the end of March 2012 and the carrier is more likely to fly less from Narita. ANA wants a fair distribution of newly available slots as a result of JAL withdrawal and it may lead to more flights of ANA.

Traditionally JAL had a leading edge to ANA in international flights. The gap may be shrunken as ANA will increase its international service at Narita as well at Haneda where airport expansion is also coming to its completion.