ANA Holdings Inc. plans to launch a new international low-cost carrier in late 2023 or early 2024, joining its rival Japan Airlines Co. in a bet on a revival in tourism as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic fades.
ANA said on Tuesday the carrier, Air Japan, would fly mid-range international flights to Asia-Pacific destinations, without disclosing planned routes. ANA already has a separate low cost carrier (LCC), Peach Aviation, which flies domestic routes as well as to a handful of short-haul Asian destinations.
The launch plan comes as airlines around the world have been hammered by the collapse in international travel triggered by the pandemic, and are now grappling with uncertainty and higher fuel costs sparked by the crisis in Ukraine.