All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 767
All Nippon Airways (ANA) traces its lineage back to 1952 and the foundation of the Nippon Helicopter and Airplane company. Several airlines in Japan established themselves after the end of the American occupation in 1953, though the government-sponsored Japan Airlines (JAL) would be the national flag carrier. NHA began operations in December 1953 with a deHavilland Dove, flying the first postwar Japanese airline flight between Tokyo and Osaka. Further aircraft were acquired, namely Douglas DC-3s, and flew routes mostly in northern Japan. Southern Japan was covered by an airline founded about the same time, Far East Airlines, which had just missed beating NHA into the air. The two airlines decided to merge in 1958 as All Nippon Airways (though its Japanese name translated to Japan Air Transport).
During the 1960s, ANA steadily expanded, absorbing three other domestic airlines by 1967 and adding new equipment—turboprop Vickers Viscounts in 1960, and Boeing 727s in 1965. It also steadily increased its route network across Japan, becoming the largest Japanese domestic airline by 1974. ANA was now in direct competition with Japan Airlines. To maintain JAL’s monopoly on international routes, the Japanese government prohibited ANA to fly scheduled international flights (though charters were allowed).
As domestic air travel doubled in Japan during the 1970s, ANA ordered wide-bodied aircraft, initially the McDonnell Douglas DC-10; under pressure from Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, ANA switched its order to the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, flying them between Tokyo and Okinawa. It was later learned that Tanaka was bribed by Lockheed, leading to the fall of the Tanaka government. 747s were added in 1976, with ANA utilizing the Short Range (SR) 747 optimized for high-density routes.
ANA finally obtained the permission of the Japanese government to fly internationally as direct competition to JAL. Flights began to Guam and the United States in 1986 and expanded steadily from there. By 1990, ANA was the busiest non-American airline in the world, carrying 2.5 million passengers a year; by 2004, it had overtaken JAL as Japan’s most profitable airline. It weathered both the Asian currency crisis of 1998 and the post-9/11 downturn well, and has positioned itself for continued growth, acquiring a reputation for punctuality and friendliness to customers. ANA also became the first non-American customer for the Boeing 777, and was the launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ordering fifty of the type in 2004. Finally, it owns a low-cost subsidiary, Air Japan, as well as ANA Cargo.
This aircraft JA-8479, was later converted into a cargo aircraft and today flies with ABX Air.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 767
All Nippon Airways (ANA) traces its lineage back to 1952 and the foundation of the Nippon Helicopter and Airplane company. Several airlines in Japan established themselves after the end of the American occupation in 1953, though the government-sponsored Japan Airlines (JAL) would be the national flag carrier. NHA began operations in December 1953 with a deHavilland Dove, flying the first postwar Japanese airline flight between Tokyo and Osaka. Further aircraft were acquired, namely Douglas DC-3s, and flew routes mostly in northern Japan. Southern Japan was covered by an airline founded about the same time, Far East Airlines, which had just missed beating NHA into the air. The two airlines decided to merge in 1958 as All Nippon Airways (though its Japanese name translated to Japan Air Transport).
During the 1960s, ANA steadily expanded, absorbing three other domestic airlines by 1967 and adding new equipment—turboprop Vickers Viscounts in 1960, and Boeing 727s in 1965. It also steadily increased its route network across Japan, becoming the largest Japanese domestic airline by 1974. ANA was now in direct competition with Japan Airlines. To maintain JAL’s monopoly on international routes, the Japanese government prohibited ANA to fly scheduled international flights (though charters were allowed).
As domestic air travel doubled in Japan during the 1970s, ANA ordered wide-bodied aircraft, initially the McDonnell Douglas DC-10; under pressure from Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, ANA switched its order to the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, flying them between Tokyo and Okinawa. It was later learned that Tanaka was bribed by Lockheed, leading to the fall of the Tanaka government. 747s were added in 1976, with ANA utilizing the Short Range (SR) 747 optimized for high-density routes.
ANA finally obtained the permission of the Japanese government to fly internationally as direct competition to JAL. Flights began to Guam and the United States in 1986 and expanded steadily from there. By 1990, ANA was the busiest non-American airline in the world, carrying 2.5 million passengers a year; by 2004, it had overtaken JAL as Japan’s most profitable airline. It weathered both the Asian currency crisis of 1998 and the post-9/11 downturn well, and has positioned itself for continued growth, acquiring a reputation for punctuality and friendliness to customers. ANA also became the first non-American customer for the Boeing 777, and was the launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ordering fifty of the type in 2004. Finally, it owns a low-cost subsidiary, Air Japan, as well as ANA Cargo.
This aircraft JA-8479, was later converted into a cargo aircraft and today flies with ABX Air.