ANA to purchase 77 aircraft from Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer

Japan’s ANA Holdings will purchase 77 new aircraft, including 68 confirmed orders and nine options for small and medium-sized aircraft. The order reflects expectations for growing passenger demand, particularly an increase in inbound travel to Japan.

The airline had originally paused its fleet renewal during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The aircraft purchase consists of 30 aircraft from Boeing, including 18 787-9s for international routes, along with 12 737 MAX 8 aircraft. 

The airline ordered 27 Airbus planes, comprising of 14 A321neos for ANA and 10 A321neos and three A321XLRs for ANA's low-cost subsidiary, Peach.

The company will also purchase 20 Embraer E190-E2 jets for ANA-branded domestic routes. This order with Embraer includes 15 firm orders and five options, making ANA the first Japanese airline to operate this aircraft type.

ANA has also finalised options for five 787-9 aircraft, announced on February 25, 2020, and ten 737 MAX 8 aircraft, announced on January 29, 2019.

Koji Shibata, president and CEO of ANA Holdings, commented: “This order will be the catalyst for improving the profitability of domestic flights and the expansion of international flights, which is an area of future growth for our airline business.”

He added: “We will fully utilise this opportunity to become an industry-leading airline with sustainable growth."

In addition to the aircraft orders, GE Aerospace confirmed that ANA Holdings has committed to purchasing the company’s GEnx-1B engines to power its order for additional 787 aircraft. CFM International also said it will provide 75 LEAP engines to the airline group, including both installed and spares. These engines will power 13 Airbus A321neo aircraft and up to 22 737 MAX aircraft.

The decision to equip its new 787 aircraft with GE engines marks a shift from ANA's long-standing commitment to using Rolls-Royce engines across its fleet.

The use of Rolls-Royce engines to power ANA’s wide-body aircraft dates back to the mid-1970s, when their L1011 Tristar fleet was powered by the Rolls-Royce RB211 engine. ANA was also the launch customer for the 787, with an initial order first placed in April 2004, once again choosing Rolls-Royce with the Trent 1000 engine.

Chris Broad, senior vice president of airline analysis at Airline Economics, commented on the engine provider shift: “Today’s announcement confirming the order of an additional 18 Boeing 787-9 aircraft powered by GE’s GEnx engine marks a shift. ANA will now face the unusual challenge of operating one type of aircraft with two engine variants, adding complexity to operational and maintenance planning."

The ANA Group anticipates its total fleet will consist of approximately 320 aircraft by the fiscal year 2030, including both current and future orders.

The planes are expected to be delivered from 2028 through 2033.