ANA to resume flights to Sydney after 16-year hiatus

ANA, Japan’s leading airline, on Thursday announced it will start non-stop flights from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Sydney in December, resuming flights to Australia after a 16-year hiatus.

The daily service, commencing Friday, December 11, is the fourth new international route for ANA this year and follows the launch of direct services to Houston on June 12, as well as Kuala Lumpur (starting September 1) and Brussels (from October 25).

The new Sydney route takes full advantage of the convenience and comfort of Haneda, a hub for 42 of ANA’s domestic routes, as well as flights to North America, Europe and Asia. Flights to Sydney will depart Haneda at 10:10 p.m., and return flights will arrive at Haneda at 5:10 a.m., allowing passengers the opportunity to transit to a number of Japanese destinations by midday. The airport hosts the expanded ANA SUITE LOUNGE and ANA LOUNGE, and is situated in a prime location just a half-hour from the heart of Tokyo.

The route, serviced with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering state-of-the-art cabin experiences with Business equipped flat-bed seats (48), Premium Economy (21) and Economy Class (146) seating, which have a configuration of three classes and a capacity of 215 passengers.

Commenting on the announcement, Osamu Shinobe, President and CEO of ANA, said, “We are thrilled to be expanding our footprint in Oceania and offering our passengers additional options and convenient connections through Haneda Airport. Our most comfortable seating and the optimized in-cabin humidity and air pressure of Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner should be especially good news for overnight travelers.”

Increasing its focus and remit in international air travel is at the heart of ANA’s long-term business strategy, with the airline aiming to increase its international flight revenue by 50% in the next ten years. Every year, more than 300,000 Japanese visit travel to Australia, an established destination for studying English as well as traditional tourism. Visitors from Australia to Japan are also on an upward trajectory, with 302,656 visitors in 2014, an increase of 23.8% from the previous year, and an additional 24.6% on figures for the first five months of 2015. Japanese destinations such as Hakuba and Niseko are particularly popular among Australian winter sports lovers and easily accessible via ANA’s domestic network.

Economic ties between Japan and Australia are also strengthening, with an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Japan and Australia formed in January this year.

For all international guests to Japan, ANA offers the Experience JAPAN Fare of just 10,800 yen for any domestic segment.

ANA plans to begin accepting reservations and selling tickets for the new Haneda-Sydney route in August on the ANA website (www.anaskyweb.com).

© Japan Today