Japan’s ANA adjusts cargo operations at Okinawa

ANA Holdings has announced it has reached an agreement with the government of the Okinawa prefecture to use the bellyhold capacity onboard both its and other carriers’ passenger aircraft to grow its cargo hub at Okinawa Naha despite the ongoing suspension of dedicated freighter operations. “Global logistic networks and supply chains have significantly changed over the past few years, which is why ANA is working to evolve our approach so that we can, in partnership with Okinawa, continue to serve emerging needs and meet demand,” Executive Vice-President of ANA Holdings and President of ANA Cargo Toshiaki Toyama said. The Japanese group suspended all dedicated freighter operations to the southern island in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has now announced that those flights will remain suspended for most of 2021 and cargo capacity will instead be proferred via passenger aircraft. ANA said that despite the pandemic, the demand for agricultural, marine, and industrial exports from Okinawa was growing, while a boom in e-commerce has also seen a rise in imports by the island. The group is planning to use bellyhold capacity on its own aircraft connecting Okinawa with domestic destinations in Japan. Despite the overall suspension, it will deploy dedicated freighters to the island from the Tokyo metropolitan area (either Tokyo Narita or Tokyo Haneda) to facilitate international exports via the capital hubs. Once international flights from the island resume, ANA Holdings will utilise both its own aircraft (mostly through Peach Aviation) and other carriers to provide sufficient bellyhold capacity for Okinawa to facilitate regional trade and smaller quantities of goods. According to the ch-aviation schedules module, the only international route currently served from Okinawa is a 3x weekly service from Seoul Incheon operated by Jeju Air (7C, Jeju). ANA – All Nippon Airways (NH, Tokyo Haneda) is the main domestic carrier serving the island with 357 weekly departures and a 37.6% market share by capacity. ANA’s fleet of dedicated freighters comprises two B777-200Fs, five B767-300(ERBCF)s, and four B767-300Fs.