The freight strategy of All Nippon Airways has finally become clear after the Japanese carrier firmed up an agreement to set up a joint-venture cargo airline with state-owned Japan Post.
ANA and Japan Post plan to launch the yet-to-be-named airline in the first half of the 2006 fiscal year. It will take over operation of ANA’s freighters, although ANA will continue to own the aircraft.
ANA’s freight strategy had been unclear for months, since it announced that it was selling its long-held 27.59% stake in freight carrier Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) to another NCA shareholder, NYK. ANA said it and the other owners had different ideas about the direction of NCA. This carrier operates Boeing 747 freighters while ANA is building up a fleet of 767 freighters.
ANA currently operates only one freighter, a 767-300F, but has three more on order with Boeing. It also recently confirmed a deal with Boeing to have up to seven passenger 767-300s converted into freighter aircraft.
The new cargo airline will mainly operate on short- and medium-haul intra-Asian routes, and will operate late-night domestic cargo services. It will be two-thirds owned by ANA and one-third owned by Japan Post, which is the largest public corporation in Japan. “It is our intention to make cargo one of ANA’s three main businesses, alongside international and domestic passenger services,” says ANA president Mineo Yamamoto.
In addition to establishing the new cargo airline, ANA says, the agreement with Japan Post provides for the two companies to co-operate on international express courier services, “with ANA co-ordinating flight schedules and priority space for products developed by Japan Post”.
Fellow Japanese carrier Japan Airlines (JAL), which has a sizeable fleet of large 747 freighters, recently announced plans to follow ANA’s lead and add smaller freighters to its fleet.
Source: Airline Business
