Japan's largest airline selects Bangkok as first destination for new mid-haul unit
Japan's largest airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), will next year launch a new unit for medium-haul international routes – Air Japan – with an inaugural flight between Bangkok and Tokyo, ANN announced.
Air Japan president Mineguchi Hideki told a press conference on Thursday that the airline will officially start service on February 10, 2024, with the Tokyo-Bangkok route.
The flights will depart from Narita International Airport and touch down at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
"ANA already operates Peach Airline, which serves short-distance flights to Taiwan, South Korea, and China, the top three most visited countries in Japan. So, Air Japan arrived to meet the demand for medium-haul flights … and Thailand was chosen as the starting point because of the promising increase in demand here [in Thailand],” Hideki explained.
The new route will benefit both countries' tourism industries, he said.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, Thais are the sixth most frequent foreign visitors to Japan. About 500,000 Thais visited Japan during the first half of this year, while about 330,000 Japanese visited Thailand.
Hideaki noted that the number of Japanese visitors to Thailand has remained lower than the pre-Covid level due to Japan's economic slowdown and the yen's depreciation. In 2019, 1.8 million Japanese visited Thailand, while 1.3 million Thais visited Japan.
He said that as Japan's economic situation improves, the number of Japanese women travelling to Thailand will gradually recover.
He did not elaborate on why Thailand is a popular destination for Japanese women.
Meanwhile, he was also confident about the growing market for low-cost airlines in Asia.
"When the size of the cake is getting bigger, then there is enough space for Air Japan to enter and share this cake," Hideaki said.
To differentiate the airline from competitors, Hideaki said Air Japan will provide more space for each seat so that passengers can stretch their legs comfortably. It will use Boeing 787-8 planes with 324 economy seats. Fares will have three levels based on service options.
One-way fares from Bangkok to Tokyo will start at 4,350 baht.
Starting in February, the airline will offer six daily flights from Bangkok to Japan, with the exception of Wednesday.
Another selling point that the airline believes will win its customer loyalty is in-flight meals. Each menu will feature a signature product from a different prefecture in Japan.
"We will provide a wide range of dining options that will allow passengers to experience the tastes and culture of Japan. A variety of in-flight meals will be available for purchase at the time of ticket reservation or on board," he said, adding that there are 13 types of meals.
Hideaki said the airline intends to expand more routes in Southeast Asia and to other parts of Japan, including the Kansai region, over the next three years. In addition, the company plans to add six more aircraft by 2025.
During his opening speech, Japan's Ambassador to Thailand, Nashida Kazuya, said he was delighted to have a new airline like Air Japan debut in time to meet rising demand from Thais tourists.
Pongpat Thiensiri, deputy director general of Thailand's Civil Aviation Authority, said he was confident that more flights from Air Japan would strengthen the Thailand-Japan relationship.
Hideaki said that the new airline will fuse the quality of a full-service carrier with the convenience of a low-cost carrier.
