Narita: ANA Holdings Inc.’s new brand for medium-haul international flights began service on Friday, in hopes of attracting more foreign visitors to Japan.

The Air Japan brand is positioned between full-service carrier All Nippon Airways and budget airline Peach Aviation within the ANA group.

Under the new brand, six round-trip flights per week will initially be operated between Narita International Airport near Tokyo and Bangkok, using 324-seat Boeing 787-8.

Adult one-way tickets start at 15,500 yen to compete with low-cost carriers. In-flight meals are available for an additional fee.

About 70 percent of passengers on Air Japan flights are expected to be foreign visitors to Japan. Flights to Seoul and Singapore will also be launched under the brand.

The brand’s inaugural flight on the Narita-Bangkok route was fully booked. “We have created an edgy service themed on Japan,” Air Japan President and CEO Hideki Mineguchi told reporters at the Narita airport. “We believe passengers will feel that our service is good once they board on our flights.”

JIJI Press