All Nippon Airways to launch Perth direct flights

All Nippon Airways is set to increase its Australian footprint by launching nonstop flights between Tokyo and Perth. An industry source in Tokyo has confirmed that All Nippon Airways is expected to announce within weeks that it will start direct flights between Perth and Tokyo next year. The daily service, understood to be operated by Boeing 787-9s, is expected to bring an additional 70,000 Japanese visitors to Western Australia every year. Read: The World's Best Airlines for 2019. See: Magnificent tribute to Concorde AirlineRatings.com understands from the source that the airline may launch the flights as early as April, although no flights are yet available for booking. The airline’s former president and chief executive, Osamu Shinobe, expressed interest in Perth as a destination three years ago. Mr Shinobe told media at a Star Alliance conference in Chicago in November 2015 that the airline wanted to fly to other Australian destinations after the re-launch of a Sydney service that had been axed in 1999. At the time he said that a “surge in economic activity between Australia and Japan” had tipped the scale in favor of Australia as a destination and Perth was next on the airline’s radar. Neither WA Tourism Minister Paul Papalia nor Perth Airport Chief Executive Kevin Brown would comment because the deal is at a sensitive stage. It is understood, however, from the Tokyo source that All Nippon Airways' management has approved the deal. The service is a big win for the State Government, which has made tourism a high priority. Mr Papalia, Premier Mark McGowan, and Mr. Brown have all visited Tokyo to lobby for the service. They have been assisted in Tokyo by Australia’s ambassador, former WA premier Richard Court. As well as inbound Japanese tourists there has been a very high level of interest from West Australians in the service, which will connect to 50 domestic destinations in Japan. Qantas withdrew from the Tokyo-Perth route in 2011 because the airline was using the Boeing 767 and it was on the route as it was at the limit of its economic range. All Nippon Airways, which was formed in 1953, is Japan’s biggest airline with a fleet of 232 aircraft and with another 81 on order. It is understood that the airline will use the 787-9 on the Perth route. These aircraft have various configurations seating between 215 and 395 seats. The aircraft to be used for Perth is likely to have 40 business class, 14 premium economy and 192 economy seats for a total of 246 seats. All Nippon Airways was the launch airline for the Boeing 787.