Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) has taken delivery of its first A380 on March 20, 2019, becoming the 15th operator of the world’s largest passenger aircraft.
ANA has ordered three A380s and will operate the aircraft on the popular route between Tokyo Narita and Honolulu from May 24. The three aircraft were ordered in December 2015, as a gesture for Airbus to support ANA in the takeover of its bankrupt competitor Skymark of which the European manufacturer was a major creditor.
It is the last time that Airbus is welcoming a new customer for the superjumbo: apart from the two ANA A380, the remaining 14 in its order book will be delivered to Emirates.
Each ANA A380 will feature a special livery depicting the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, also known as the Honu. The livery on the first aircraft is painted in blue, while the second will be green and the third orange.
ANA’s A380 is configured in a premium layout seating 520 passengers. The upper deck features eight suites in First Class, 56 business class seats that convert to fully flat beds and 73 premium economy seats. Economy Class is located on the main deck seating 383 passengers, including 60 couch seats.
“We will commit all three of our Airbus A380 to the Tokyo-Honolulu route, […] the number one resort route for Japanese travelers,” said Shinya Katanozaka, President and CEO of ANA Holdings (ALNPY) .
“We believe the A380 will become a game changer for ANA and will enable us to increase our market share by doubling the number of seats connecting Honolulu and Tokyo by 2020,” he added.
Following today’s delivery to ANA, there are currently 232 A380s in service with 15 airlines worldwide.