Tsuneya Katagiri, GM, All Nippon Airways (ANA) – Mumbai, reveals how his airline is effectively taking care of growing demand on India-Japan route. By Sudipta Dev
Please give a brief background of ANA’s operations in India.
ANA resumed operations ex-Mumbai in September 2007 with all business class (40) seats on B- 737, Business Jet. Subsequently due to fall in market demand and the drop in the global economy (2008), we introduced economy class cabin. In Oct 2012, ANA commenced operations ex-Delhi with a wide body B-767 aircraft. This March from Mumbai, we have launched the state-of-the-art, Dreamliner B-787. For the first time we have introduced premium economy cabin with 21 seats and 102 economy seats.
How has the India market responded to the bigger aircraft that you introduced this year?
The Dreamliner B-787 has been received very well. With Indo-Japan diplomatic relations moving in a positive direction, the overall demand to Japan has been increasing year on year. Leisure and MICE movement to Japan have increased considerably due to various conventions and trade fairs conducted by Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO). The demand from business, MICE and leisure travel is gradually on the rise from all parts of India.
What are your growth expectations from this market?
On the Business Jet we were enjoying a SLF of 60 per cent. With the introduction of B-787 our capacity has increased by four folds and with an increase in demand we expect positive growth. We are currently enjoying 80 per cent of market share.
What is general profile of passengers on India-Japan route?
Initially during the Business Jet, we had mainly business travellers. Now with the B-787 and enhanced capacity we are focusing on corporate, leisure, MICE, ships crew and packaged tours (tour operators).
JNTO has been proactively promoting Japan as a tourism destination in India, have you seen a marked tourist passenger growth in recent years? What about tourists from Japan to India?
Yes we have seen a marked tourist passenger growth. According to JNTO figures there has been an increase of 20 per cent. JNTO conducts roadshows a few times each year and have representative
offices in Mumbai and Delhi. We are looking forward to JNTO office in Delhi before the end of this financial year. This will further enhance tourism to Japan. According to information from MTDC Mumbai, the last financial year ending April 2016, saw over two lakh Japanese travellers to India. Unfortunately the Bureau of Immigration authorities do not share accurate information with the ministry of tourism, Govt of India. But a minimum 10 per cent year on year growth is expected by the Maharashtra Tourism
authorities. In recent times ties between India and Japan have become closer at the government/ political levels. There is a lot of buzz on Japan, thereby increasing the awareness. ANA hopes to continue with steady expansion plans in India and is here to stay.
What percentage of your passengers are for onward flights, beyond Japan?
Ex Mumbai our main market is Japan. Soon we shall be launching competitive fares to China and Korea. We hope to tap the growing market for trade fairs and tourism. Ex Delhi our focus is Japan with excellent connectivity to USA – mainly to the West Coast which is Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and San Jose.
Any special offerings/ services for Indian passengers?
When we launched the B-787 ex Mumbai in March we introduced special promotional fares in business and economy and received an excellent response, boosting our local sale.
We also cater to special meals on religious grounds, offer Bollywood movies in-flight, and special handling service, to our valued Indian customers.