Ayşe Akalın: ANA officially launched direct flights between Istanbul and Tokyo Haneda in February 2025. How does the Istanbul–Tokyo route fit into ANA’s broader European network strategy?

Shinichi Inoue: The new direct flight to Istanbul will enhance our connections to the Middle East and Africa. As a key part of our network strategy, this route not only meets local demand but also supports transfer demand. Strengthening the hub requires capturing both, making this route indispensable.

Ayşe Akalın: What initial demand trends have you observed on this route? Are passenger loads and booking patterns aligning with expectations?

Shinichi Inoue: We estimate 10-20% to be Business travelers, 80-90% being leisure demand.

The fourth quarter results showed that the passenger numbers were 2.6 times the expected amount.

Ayşe Akalın:  With three weekly flights operated by the Boeing 787-8, are there any plans to increase frequency or deploy larger aircraft as demand grows?

Shinichi Inoue: Not at this point. We are now focusing on stabilizing the new route. Given the route's strategic importance within ANA's network, we remain dedicated to enhancing its performance to better serve our customers.

Ayşe Akalın:  What are the most common connecting destinations for passengers flying from Istanbul to Japan via Haneda?

Shinichi Inoue: At present, the final destination is Tokyo, and demand for domestic connections from Haneda Airport to Japan is limited. Of these, Osaka is the most connecting domestic city via Haneda and followed by Sapporo.

Ayşe Akalın:  Cargo demand between Turkey and Japan is rising, especially in food and apparel sectors. How is ANA leveraging the Istanbul route to grow its cargo operations in the region?

Shinichi Inoue: We aim to utilize Istanbul as a hub for connections with Europe and Africa, in addition to handling cargo to and from Asia, including China, for both inbound and outbound flights.

Ayşe Akalın:  ANA currently operates a modern fleet of 242 aircraft. What upcoming fleet developments or acquisitions are planned to support network expansion?

Shinichi Inoue:  Not at this point. We are now focusing on stabilizing the new route. Given the route's strategic importance within ANA's network, we remain dedicated to enhancing its performance to better serve our customers.

Ayşe Akalın:  ANA is globally recognized for its attention to detail and premium hospitality. How do your Business and First-Class products reflect the “Omotenashi” spirit on international long-haul flights?

Shinichi Inoue:  We provide high-quality Japanese and Western menus created by our own caterer, with a focus on exceptional dishes from Japan. We also offer collaboration menus with renowned restaurants. Our special in-flight meals, including dietary options, are designed to cater to all customers, including those with restrictions. Our B777-300ER aircraft offers private seats with doors in both First Class and Business Class for added privacy and comfort.

Ayşe Akalın:  Premium Economy has become a growth segment. What unique value does ANA offer in this cabin to differentiate itself?

Shinichi Inoue: In Premium Economy we offer light snacks and beverages from Business Class between meal services. We are focusing on Premium Economy service on the Honolulu route, offering unique menus served on chinaware and maximizing seat pitch and legroom for added comfort. Our latest Premium Economy seats, announced on April 9th, are designed with advanced technology and ergonomics to provide the highest level of comfort and usability, with increased seat pitch and recline. These new seats will be introduced on Boeing 787-9 aircraft starting in FY2026.

 Ayşe Akalın:  How is ANA using technology to enhance inflight entertainment, connectivity, and personalized passenger experience across all cabin classes?

Shinichi Inoue: We offer Wi-Fi service on all international routes (excluding operations on certain aircraft types), with free and unlimited access in First and Business classes. Economy class allows free texting. We provide entertainment content in multiple languages and all class seats have USB ports and in-seat power on international flights. The B777-300ER features large 4K monitors for seat TVs in First and Business classes.

 Ayşe Akalın: Under your "ANA Future Promise" program, ANA has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. What milestones have already been achieved in this journey?

Shinichi Inoue: Under our "ANA Future Promise," we are firmly committed to achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by FY2050, recognizing the vital role we play in a sustainable future. We've established clear milestones along this journey, and we're pleased to share the progress we've made:

Our midterm goal for FY2030 is a significant reduction of over 10 percent in CO2 emissions compared to our FY2019 baseline. We are proud to report that by FY2023, we had already surpassed this target, achieving a 15.1% decrease in CO2 emissions relative to FY2019. This demonstrates our proactive approach and the effectiveness of our initial initiatives.

Even as we navigate the recovery of our production levels to pre-COVID-19 figures, we remain steadfast in our commitment to further emission reductions. As of 2024, the ratio of fuel-efficient equipment is 80.3%, with plans to update towards approximately 90% by 2031. Examples of other CO2 emission reduction are, “innovative measures by flight crew members”, “engine cleaning”, and “optimization of flight routes”.

Ayşe Akalın: What recent investments or innovations have been made in digital transformation—such as app-based services, real-time flight information, or biometric boarding?

Shinichi Inoue: We have made digital transformation a key theme of our management strategy. As a specific example of our efforts, in 2012, we were the first in the world to distribute iPads to all flight attendants. This enables them to not only refer to manuals but also check passenger information. For instance, if a delay occurs on an outbound flight, flight attendants can now apologize to passengers on the return flight. We have also improved the customer experience by ensuring that requests for assistance received at the check-in counter are coordinated with the flight attendants and the arrival airport staff.

Starting in 2024, we have introduced the latest technology to directly connect iPads among cabin attendants. This system allows all flight attendants to confirm the food and beverage requests of each passenger and respond quickly and as a team, even when the network environment is unstable on board the aircraft.

We are also promoting the use of generative AI. All executives and employees of the Group can now use Google's Gemini and have started using AI as a work companion. Additionally, we have implemented AI for our customers. There is a chatbot on the inquiry page of our website that utilizes AI. For example, we used to require customers to call us to inquire about waiting lists for award tickets, but now the AI chatbot can handle such inquiries. This has significantly reduced the number of inquiries to the contact center, improved the customer experience by eliminating call waiting times.

 Ayşe Akalın: Japan–Turkey cargo demand is growing, especially in frozen food, textiles, and high-value products. How does ANA plan to scale its cargo operations on this corridor?

Shinichi Inoue: We think that the market in Turkey, both for exports and imports, will continue to expand. Our target commodities, in order to scale up our cargo business, are as follows:

- From Japan, we transport auto parts and electronic materials.

- From Turkey, we transport auto parts, garments, textiles, fresh food, and Turkish wine.

- Export demand from Turkey is not only to Japan, but also to Asia and Oceania. Our main target is shipments bound for Japan, followed by shipments to Asia and Oceania (including China, ASEAN countries, and Australia).

- There is also the possibility that Turkey could be an alternative location for factories in the EU to move to in order to avoid the tariff impact between the US and the EU due to President Trump's policies. Turkey's tariffpercentage for goods bound for the US is lower than that of the EU. We need to keep a close eye on this situation. If factories do move to Turkey, the positive impact would not only be felt in the US market, but also in Asia.

 Ayşe Akalın: ANA has experience transporting unique cargo like racehorses, satellites, and precision machinery. What kind of special cargo opportunities are you targeting through Istanbul?

Shinichi Inoue: One of the largest industries is the automobile industry. TOYOTA has a large factory located in the suburbs of Istanbul. We are interested in exploring business opportunities to procure related materials and vehicles from this location.

In addition, other unique commodities from Turkey include Turkish wine and food products