ANA plots international growth for Vanilla Air
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Japan’s ANA Group has unveiled plans to expand its low-cost subsidiary, Vanilla Air, including the launch of multiple new international routes.
Revealing its new growth targets for 2020, ANA said it is aiming to “establish Vanilla Air as the number one LCC in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.” This expansion will include the carrier entering new international leisure markets, and expanding the connections between Okinawa and mainland China.
According to a projected route network map released by ANA, new destinations for Vanilla Air could include Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia and the Philippines. At present, the Tokyo-based LCC operates flights to Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as domestic services.
Vanilla Air was formed in late 2013 following the dissolution of ANA’s Japanese partnership with AirAsia. The former AirAsia Japan was rebranded and relaunched as Vanilla Air, operating a small fleet of 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft from Tokyo Narita Airport.
Currently Vanilla Air operates eight aircraft, but by the end of the 2020 financial year ANA is planning to increase the LCC’s capacity (in terms of available seat kilometres) by 318%, compared to 2015.
It will operate alongside ANA’s other LCC, Peach, and compete against Jetstar Japan and the new AirAsia Japan, which is expected to start operating this year.
Meanwhile, ANA has also confirmed plans to expand its mainline fleet with the addition of its first three Airbus A380s. These double-decker jets will initially be deployed on the airline’s services to Hawaii.
It also has outstanding orders for new Airbus A320neo, A321, A321neo, Boeing 737, B777-300ER, B777-X and B787 Dreamliner aircraft.
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