Vanilla Air could give All Nippon Airways a larger group presence in Hawaii and Pacific Islands

All Nippon Airways is going back to its roots. Japan's second airline commenced international scheduled service in Mar-1986 with a service to Guam, one of the Pacific Islands that attracts Japanese tourists. ANA's international launch was hard fought against the then mighty Japan Airlines, and ANA has since focused on blue-chip premium routes. In doing so, it has placed less focus on the beach/resort markets such as Guam, Hawaii and Palau. Despite JAL's shrinkage - it is now smaller than ANA - JAL remains the largest in these beach markets.

ANA is considering how its wholly owned LCC Vanilla Air could expand there and give ANA a larger group presence, Vanilla Air president Tomonori Ishii said at CAPA's recent Asian Aviation Summit in Singapore. JAL has similarly used its LCC, Jetstar Japan, to give it a larger group presence in markets ANA was traditionally stronger in, such as Nagoya and onsen destinations in the south. Vanilla Air will need widebodies to reach these leisure markets non-stop from Japan, and this is a development under consideration. It would be a leap for Japan's still relatively young LCC sector, but ANA faces the larger task of perhaps integrating its two LCCs, Vanilla and Peach.