The aircraft is a 184-seat Boeing 787-8 (32 business class, 14 premium economy, and 138 economy class seats), and the first flight from Japan is near full with 158 passengers, with leisure demand at 80-90%.
On February 12 (local time), ANA held a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, to mark the start of direct flights to and from Haneda Airport. Although Turkish Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, already operates direct flights from Japan, this is the first scheduled flight by a Japanese airline.
ANA’s Haneda – Istanbul route (from February 12, 2025)
NH219: Haneda (08:15) to Istanbul (15:55), Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
NH220: Departs Istanbul (18:10) – Haneda (11:20), Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
Starting with the Haneda-Milan route in December 2024, the Haneda-Stockholm route in January, and now the Haneda-Istanbul route, ANA’s rush of new European routes has been successfully completed. All three routes were originally scheduled to be launched in June 2020, but after the Corona disaster, it took over four and a half years.
ANA’s European routes have increased to nine destinations in eight countries, with a total of 49 flights per week.
In Istanbul, baklava (a pastry made of pie dough with nuts woven into it) was distributed to passengers after disembarking the first NH219 flight from Haneda upon arrival, and a ceremony was held before the departure of NH220 from Istanbul on its return flight. The atmosphere was festive, with snacks and beverages served to passengers and a photo booth provided for commemorative photos.
ANA President and Representative Director Shinichi Inoue, who took the stage at the ceremony, noted that the year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Japan and Turkey, and said, “We will not only transport people and goods, but also make efforts to further strengthen ties over the next 100 years” with this new flight service. He also called for further use of the service, citing the growing demand from Turkish visitors to Japan and the fact that domestic connections to 40 cities are free of charge when visiting Japan on ANA flights.
© Source travel watch
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