All Nippon Airways (ANA) Group is doing away with two of its domestic brands as it seeks to strengthen the core flagship carrier, which must now compete with a post-merger Japan Airlines.
The ANA Group is currently made up of All Nippon Airways, Air Nippon (ANK), Air Nippon Network (A-Net) and Air Japan. From April, only the ANA and Air Japan names will be used, with ANK and A-Net services coming under ANA codes.
The flagship ANA operation is the mainstay of the group's domestic and international networks, while ANK and A-Net serve only the home Japanese market with their respective fleets of narrowbody jets and turboprops. Air Japan will continue to fly on its short-haul international network under its own name. "ANA is a much stronger brand. It will especially help passengers from abroad who may not know that Air Nippon and Air Nippon Network are part of the ANA Group," says the airline.
ANA also notes that until now passengers on ANK and A-Net flights have only been able to redeem frequent flyer miles under the ANA programme and not on the loyalty schemes of other partners within the Star Alliance. That will change from April. Meanwhile, from later this year, ANA Group airlines will move into a dedicated new terminal building at Tokyo's Haneda airport, "bringing greater passenger convenience and further strengthening the ANA brand", adds the airline.
ANA's brand-building exercise comes as rivals Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Air System (JAS) are integrating operations as part of their ongoing merger efforts under a joint holding company. From April the JAS name will disappear and all its flights will operate as JAL services.
Source: Airline Business
