The Nikkei just reported that in the second half of 2024, ANA will considerably expand its presence in Europe by launching flights to Milan, Istanbul, and Stockholm, resuming flights to Vienna, and increasing frequencies on select routes.
Continue reading to learn more.
ANA’s Upcoming Routes to Milan, Istanbul, and Stockholm
While the exact date the three new routes will be launched is not yet known, The Nikkei reported that all three routes including Tokyo Haneda – Milan Malpensa, Tokyo Haneda – Istanbul, and Tokyo Haneda – Stockholm Arlanda will launch in the second half of 2024.
All three of these routes were originally meant to launch in the summer of 2020 but the pandemic postponed those plans. The schedules that were announced at the time are below.
The Milan route was planned to be operated as follows:
- NH207 / Tokyo Haneda – Milan Malpensa / 12:55AM – 6:20AM
- NH208 / Milan Malpensa – Tokyo Haneda / 12:10PM – 7:00AM+1
The Istanbul route was planned to be operated as follows:
- NH219 / Tokyo Haneda – Istanbul / 8:35AM – 2:15PM
- NH220 / Istanbul – Tokyo Haneda / 4:50PM – 10:25AM+1
Lastly, the Stockholm route was planned to be operated as follows:
- NH221 / Tokyo Haneda – Stockholm / 9:40AM – 1:00PM
- NH222 / Stockholm – Tokyo Haneda / 2:20PM – 7:10AM
The original plan had ANA using the 787-9 on the Milan route and the 787-8 on the Istanbul and Stockholm routes. It remains to be seen what aircraft the airline will deploy when it launches the flights.
ANA will be the only airline to offer non-stop flights from Tokyo to Stockholm and Milan. The latter will fit nicely into its recently announced partnership with ITA Airways. The Tokyo Haneda – Istanbul route is already served daily by ANA’s Star Alliance partner Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines also flies daily between Istanbul and Tokyo Narita.
ANA to Resume Vienna and Increase Frequencies to Munich and Paris
In addition to launching the new routes, The Nikkei says ANA will also resume flights between Tokyo Haneda and Vienna in August 2024.
The service launched on February 17, 2019, and was operated daily with the following schedule:
- NH205 / Tokyo Haneda – Vienna / 01:55AM – 06:00AM
- NH206 / Vienna – Tokyo Haneda / 11:50AM – 6:55AM+1
It was suspended when the pandemic brought Japanese (and global) aviation to a halt. ANA used the 787-9 on the route. What form the route will take – i.e. the exact schedule and the type that ANA will use – once the service is resumed remains to be seen.
Right now, there is no non-stop service between Tokyo and Vienna. That said, during the summer schedule, Austrian Airlines operates three weekly flights to Narita.
Once the three new routes are launched and Vienna is resumed, ANA will serve nine destinations in Europe. Currently, it operates flights from Tokyo Haneda to London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, and Munich, as well as from Tokyo Narita to Brussels.
According to The Nikkei report, ANA also plans to increase frequencies on two of the existing routes in July. Both the Munich and Paris routes are expected to go daily from the current four and three flights a week respectively.
Summary
Based on the new The Nikkei report, things will be exciting for ANA in the second half of 2024. It will grow its European network from the current five destinations to nine including three brand new destinations (Milan, Istanbul, and Stockholm) and one resumption (Vienna).
It will also add frequencies on its flights to Munich and Paris.
