ANA eyes Asia growth through network expansion, partnerships

ANA will focus on using its partnerships with other carriers and its own network growth to tap the potential of the Asia-Pacific market. Speaking on 8 February, the airline’s president and CE Yuji Hirako said equity investments by its parent company ANA Holdings in other carriers will enable the airline "to solidify our strategy" in the region. "We're going to establish routes that we will operate on our own, and through partnerships. We'll be able to merge or integrate each other's strategies, so that we can attack this market together more strongly," says Hirako. The comments were made on the sidelines of an event to mark ANA HD’s purchase of a 9.5% stake in Philippine Airlines’ parent company PAL Holdings. It is the second strategic stake the ANA group has made in a Southeast Asian carrier after acquiring an 8.8% stake in Vietnam Airlines in 2016. ANA has also attempted to invest in two carriers in Myanmar in recent years, but with no success. On its own part, ANA is planning to launch flights from Tokyo Narita to Perth on 1 September, and from Narita to Chennai during the winter schedule.<br/>