MILAN – All Nippon Airways or ANA (NH), Japan’s largest airline, has resumed direct flights between Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), ending a 14-year hiatus.
The inaugural flight marked an important milestone, with ceremonies held in Milan to celebrate the service’s revival.
ANA Tokyo to Milan Flights
On the 3rd of December, the first flight from Haneda departed at 1:23 AM carrying 203 passengers and 12 crew members, totaling 215 onboard.
Flight NH207 was operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, configured with 48 Business, 21 Premium Economy, and 146 Economy seats. The Boeing 787 landed at Milan Malpensa at 7:51 AM local time.
The return flight, NH208, departed Milan at 11:29 AM the same day with 182 passengers and crew members onboard, including several “touch-and-go” passengers from the inaugural Tokyo flight. Despite a slight delay due to baggage checks, flight operations were smooth.
Ceremonial Launch
A ribbon-cutting and cake-cutting ceremony was held at Milan Malpensa Airport. Key participants included ANA President Shinichi Inoue, SEA Milan Airports COO Luigi Battuello, Lombardy Deputy Governor Raffaele Cattaneo, and Japan’s Ambassador to Italy, Tetsu Suzuki.
Luigi Battuello highlighted the significance of ANA’s return, noting the robust growth in long-haul travel from Milan. He stated that Asian flights now represent 27% of Milan Malpensa’s long-haul traffic, with the addition of Tokyo increasing the number of eastern destinations to 27.
Strategic Importance, Cargo Opportunities
The Tokyo-Milan service will operate three times weekly – on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays as part of ANA’s winter schedule. Tokyo Haneda’s proximity to the city center makes it a convenient gateway for both business and leisure travelers.
Additionally, passengers arriving in Tokyo can easily connect to ANA’s domestic network, including destinations like Osaka, Sapporo, and Okinawa, or continue to Asia-Pacific locations, as highlighted by Milan Malpensa Airport’s spokesperson.
ANA’s partnership with ITA Airways and Trenitalia further enhances connectivity from Milan, offering access to 76 cities across 34 countries. The resumption of this route also highlights ANA’s focus on the cargo market.
Italy is Japan’s second-largest export cargo market in Europe after Germany, with a high demand for products like leather goods, apparel, pharmaceuticals, and marble. From Japan, key exports include semiconductors and automobile parts. ANA anticipates strong cargo demand on this route.
Expansion Plans
The resumption of flights to Milan is part of ANA’s broader European expansion.
The airline plans to launch new routes to Stockholm (ARN) on January 31, 2025, and Istanbul (IST) on February 12, 2025, increasing its European operations to 49 weekly round trips to nine cities.
Feature Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
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Source: Traicy
