TOKYO: Japanese airline group ANA Holdings Inc. on Tuesday announced the creation of AirJapan, its new medium-distance international flight service starting in the latter half of fiscal 2023.

AirJapan will be positioned between the group’s flagship All Nippon Airways and low-cost carrier Peach Aviation, offering fares similar to those of Peace and optional services equivalent to those of ANA.

AirJapan flights will link Japan with other areas in Asia and Oceania, where demand for travel to Japan is expected to grow.

The ANA group will make preparations to start the AirJapan service during the six months from October 2023 while closely watching the course of international travel demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The AirJapan service will be launched by Air Japan Co., an ANA group company operating Asia-bound flights.

“We’ll provide comfort unseen in existing medium-range flights,” Air Japan President Hideki Mineguchi told a press conference.

At Japan Airlines, ANA’s key rival, LCC arm Zipair Tokyo Inc. operates flights between Narita International Airport near Tokyo and foreign cities such as Bangkok, Seoul and Honolulu.

JIJI Press