On March 3, ANA held a ceremony at Narita Airport to mark the 40th anniversary of its international flight service.
ANA’s international flight history began on March 3, 1986 with the Narita – Guam route (NH11, the aircraft at that time was a Lockheed L-1011), and today ANA has a network of 55 routes to 40 cities (including 19 routes to 19 cities at Narita). The cumulative number of passengers (as of December 2025) has reached approximately 170 million.
At the ceremony held in front of Gate 54 of Terminal 1 on the same day, legendary employees who knew the start of regular international flight service gathered to look back on the hardships that had been experienced over the past 40 years.
Mr. Nakagawa, who joined the company in 1987 and was assigned to the cabin department for international flights, says that at the time, recognition of ANA (All Nippon Airways) was still low overseas, and since the name did not include Japan, he was often asked, “What country’s airline are you from? He was often asked, “Which country’s airline are you from?
Mr. Tokunaga, a Boeing 787 captain who started flying internationally in the 1990s, said he still remembers the tension he felt when he heard permission from air traffic control to depart on his first flight to John F. Kennedy Airport (New York), and Mr. Uchimura, a mechanic, said he was always nervous about international flights, which take hours to return, unlike domestic flights that take an hour to an hour and a half to turn back. Mr. Uchimura, a mechanic, said he was always nervous about international flights, which take many hours over long distances to return home, unlike domestic flights, which turn around after an hour to an hour and a half.
Shinichi Inoue, President and Representative Director, who took the podium next, looked back on the not-so-smooth road that took 18 years to secure profitability on international flights. It is precisely in these difficult times that we will continue to connect the world with reliable safety,” he said, expressing his determination.
After the ceremony, when boarding began, Mr. Inoue took the lead in distributing commemorative gifts containing luggage tags and other items, and although it was unfortunately raining outside, many ANA staff members saw off NH881 (Narita to Perth), the flight covered by the ceremony, with banners.
© Source travel watch