All Nippon Airways to expand in Southeast Asia with new routes, partnerships & product improvements

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) plans to expand its Southeast Asian network in 2015 by launching new destinations and expanding partnerships. Services to Cambodia and Malaysia are under consideration, which would give ANA an online presence in Southeast Asia's eight largest countries.

ANA has been looking over the last two years to supplement its position in Southeast Asia, which it sees as a key growth market, through strategic acquisitions. But after not completing a tentative deal to acquire a 49% stake in a small Myanmar-based carrier and passing up on potential stakes in larger flag carriers, the focus is now primarily on organic growth. This will also help ANA's growing North America-Asia transfer traffic.

ANA is also planning to improve its business class product in Southeast Asia by introducing a lie-flat seat on longer regional routes. ANA has been serving Southeast Asia with 767s and 787s configured with recliner style business class seats although rival Japan Airlines (JAL) has introduced a lie-flat business class product on some of its Japan-Southeast Asia routes.