ISTANBUL—All Nippon Airways (ANA) is gradually rebuilding its fleet toward pre-pandemic levels, and aims to resume its fleet growth trajectory in the longer term using its existing orderbook.
The carrier intends to get back to its pre-COVID-19 fleet total by 2025, and then to exceed this level through 2030, said ANA CEO Shinichi Inoue during the IATA AGM on June 5.
Increases will come in short- and mid-haul aircraft in particular, Inoue said. ANA aims to have more than 100 Boeing 787s by 2030. It currently has 79 787s, including -8s, -9s and -10s, with another 19 on order, according to the AWIN fleet database.
The carrier also has 777-9s and 737 MAXs aircraft on order. Deliveries of both types are due to start in ANA’s 2025 fiscal year 2025, which begins on April 1, 2025.
ANA expects to introduce its third Airbus A380 to service during the current fiscal year, which extends through the end of March 2024, Inoue said. The carrier operates its current two A380s exclusively on routes to Honolulu.
The airline has been affected by the Pratt & Whitney engine issues that many airlines around the world have also been facing. Inoue said around 15%-20% of ANA’s P&W-powered Airbus narrowbodies have been grounded at any one time due to this issue.
ANA expects overall international demand to return to 80% of 2019 levels by the end of March 2024. While demand for inbound travel to Japan has already recovered to 66% of pre-pandemic levels, outbound leisure travel is still relatively weak, Inoue said.
Nearly 2 million Japanese traveled overseas in March 2019, according to Japanese government figures. This total was slightly less than 700,000 in March 2023.
There are two facets to the slow recovery in outbound demand, Inoue said: mental attitudes and economic factors.
People were hesitant to travel due to the risks of COVID-19, he said. Costs also increased due to the depreciation of the yen, and higher fuel surcharges.
While these hurdles to travel have eased, people’s mindsets have been slower to change, Inoue said. The government has been involved in helping address this, with initiatives such as a lottery system for subsidies on passport fees.
Inoue also noted that travel to Hawaii was strong during the Golden Week holiday period in May, and this may encourage other Japanese travelers to plan overseas leisure trips.
