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ANA weighing options for full A380 implementation
March 22nd 2019
Hawaii flights commence in May with all three A380s in service in 2020. Read More »
The last airline to operate the world’s largest passenger aircraft is a company whose roots are smaller than commercial jets. All Nippon Airways started as a helicopter company, a history that lives on in ANA’s IATA code: NH, Nippon Helicopter.
ANA spent much of its life fighting for market access from state-protected Japan Airlines. The Japanese market shifted with JAL’s bankruptcy and subsequent cuts, but ANA’s expansion is of its own success. ANA is growing to be larger than Japan Airlines was pre-bankruptcy.
There is little loss of symbolism that the challenger is now the establishment and the country’s only A380 operator. Yet ANA’s order for three A380s was not born out of ANA strategy. The A380 order was effectively a quid pro quo for creditors selecting ANA to rehabilitate Japanese airline Skymark. Skymark received A330s and had A380s in production. Lessor Intrepid, Airbus and Rolls-Royce were the largest creditors. ANA's A380s are powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900.
ANA was interested in Skymark’s domestic portfolio, where Skymark has the third-largest holding of slots at constrained Tokyo Haneda airport. Haneda is gearing up for slot expansion, but only for international flights. Some reckon ANA received a bargain, effectively buying three A380s for Skymark and its scarce Haneda slots. The alternative could have been worse: the competing rehabilitation proposal for Skymark was from Delta Air Lines.
For ANA, having to deploy the A380 was a solution in need of a problem. Management identified Hawaii, the popular resort market that JAL still has a firm hold on. It is Hawaii – and not Los Angeles or New York – that is the largest US-Japan market. Traffic is almost exclusively outbound Japan.
ANA has three daily flights to Honolulu, two from Narita and one from Haneda. JV partner United Airlines has a daily Narita-Honolulu flight. ANA A380 flights commence on 24 May with three weekly services.
The second ANA A380 is due to exit the paintshop on 25 March. From 1 July, ANA will offer 10 weekly Narita-Honolulu flights. The flights replace existing 787-9 services, and double capacity. A Narita-Honolulu rotation can amply be made in a 24-hour block, so the 10 weekly flights using two aircraft leaves significant schedule cushion, reflecting Japanese conservatism.
ANA is still weighing options for the Japan-Hawaii market once it receives its third A380 in 2020. ANA will likely not operate 21 weekly A380 flights, but future frequency is to be determined. ANA would need to deploy its third A380 partially or wholly on its third Honolulu flight, but this service departs from Haneda, where Japan has prohibited the A380.
ANA will likely continue to lobby for A380 operations at Haneda, which could require Japan to permit other airlines’ A380s, too. Alternatively, ANA and United should shuffle their flights. The JV network will change as both ANA and United are awaiting to hear the results of their request for more Tokyo Haneda slots.
