ANA Holdings has completed its acquisition of compatriot Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), a move it believes will beef up its “resilience” against market volatility.
The acquisition was completed on 1 August, following a simplified share exchange with Japanese logistics firm Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, which previously owned NCA. The deal, which was first floated in 2023, had been pushed back on several occasions, owing to regulatory hurdles.
The addition of NCA to ANA Holdings will “elevate” the group to the world’s 14th largest airline group based on cargo transport weight.
“The ANA Group’s profitability is expected to increase with NCA’s inclusion, as the strengthened cargo business will improve its resilience against market volatility and changes,” states ANA Holdings.
Tokyo Narita-based NCA operates a fleet of Boeing 747 freighters, comprising eight -8Fs, as well as seven -400Fs operated on wet-lease arrangements. ANA’s cargo fleet comprises six 767Fs, as well as a pair of 777Fs.
“By combining the ANA Group’s international network with NCA’s expertise in special commodities and mass transportation using large freighters, ANA will further strengthen its high-quality and competitive services to meet diverse customers’ cargo transport needs,” adds ANA Holdings.
ANA’s long-haul cargo operations will be boosted following the addition of NCA’s network, which includes North American points like Dallas Fort-Worth, New York, and Chicago, as well as European points like Milan and Amsterdam.
For the three months ended 30 June, ANA saw its cargo revenues dip 2%, as it notes that it “mitigated US tariff impact on China by capturing demand from other parts of Asia”.
