Japanese mega-carrier All Nippon Airways announced last Friday that it would buy 11 additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft for about JYP 254.7 billion yen (US$ 3.3 billion) to be delivered from 2018.
TOKYO– ANA Group, Japan’s largest airline group, announced last Friday that it is placing orders for eleven additional Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. ANA currently has 55 Dreamliners on order, thirteen of which have so far been delivered. The new order today will take ANA’s fleet of this innovative and fuel-efficient airliner to 66 in total. All eleven aircraft will be the B787-9 model and will be delivered between fiscal year 2018 and 2021. This will give ANA a fleet of 36 B787-8 aircraft and 30 B787-9 versions.
ANA’s future fleet plans involve the gradual replacement of the Boeing 767 and Boeing 777-200 with the 787. The fuel efficiency of the B787-9 is similar to that of the B787-8, while it has greater seat, helping support the profitable expansion of ANA’s international and domestic route networks.
ANA is the launch customer for the Dreamliner and started its first 787 operation in October last year. The Boeing 787 is the world’s first commercial passenger jet with an airframe made largely of carbon composites instead of aluminum. Because of its lighter weight, the plane consumes 20 percent less fuel than other jets its size on similar routes, savings that are prized by airline customers eager to contain fuel bills.
The aircraft is now flying eight domestic Japanese routes as well as Haneda –Frankfurt. ANA also plans to launch a new route from Tokyo Narita to San Jose on the US West Coast starting January next year using the 787, while the current Tokyo Narita – Seattle service will switch to 787 operations from October 1, and Tokyo-Haneda – Beijing to the 787 from October 28.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
