All Nippon Airways targets UK travelers with new London-Tokyo service

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced a new service between London and Tokyo Haneda Airport, in response to growing demand for the route.

The new route follows the news from the Japan National Tourism Organization that the country looks set to hit the 10 million visitor mark by the end of 2013.

The expansion, effective from March 30, 2014, will make ANA the biggest airline at Haneda Airport, offering the most international flights to and from this airport. International travellers are increasingly looking to Haneda Airport as a hub, due to its accessibility for central Tokyo (13mins by Monorail) and range of domestic flights, allowing for easy access to popular Japanese destinations such as Hiroshima, Matsuyama and Okayama.

ANA operates a dual-airport strategy in the Tokyo area, capitalising on the respective strengths of Haneda and Narita Airport. Routes and schedules for destinations served from both airports are carefully planned to complement one another, offering passengers the greatest choice and convenience, and to meet the growing demand for international travel.

“With the new slots being added to Haneda Airport, we are seeking to utilise the strengths of both Haneda and Narita airports to offer an increased level of convenience for domestic and international routes, gaining new international customers travelling between Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Also in-line with the Haneda expansion, ANA is planning to offer an enhanced lounge and services, delivering a five-star airline experience both in the air and on the ground, allowing customers to experience Japan Quality at all times,” said Osamu Shinobe, ANA President & CEO.

To support the expansion, late-December will see ANA launch a new UK marketing campaign. The ANA ‘By Design’ campaign focuses on the beauty of Japanese culture and its tradition of exceptional service, in a bid to attract more business travellers as well as bespoke travellers to the destination. UK passengers can enjoy in-flight services such as menus from two Michelin star Tokyo restaurant, Ryuzu, and high tech bedding featuring Air Cyclone® technology, anti-static materials, and relaxing aroma cards to aid better sleep; after ANA was recently listed as a “5 Star Airline” by Skytrax and awarded as the cleanest cabin airline at the World Airline Awards.

Ken Nishimura, Executive Vice President, commented on the By Design Campaign saying, “Looking at our future business, we want overseas customers to recognise, understand and fly ANA. For international routes to become a substantial driver for ANA’s growth, we are rolling-out the largest marketing promotion in the history of our organisation.”