All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest and five-star airline for seven consecutive years, is introducing the Boeing 777 Freighter to its fleet to aid with increased cargo transportation demand in Asia and North America. The start of operations for these aircraft is the culmination of expansion plans that ANA announced in 2018.

ANA received its first Boeing 777F, nicknamed Blue Jay on 24 May 2019 at Tokyo Haneda International Airport. The specially-designed aircraft has the ability to transport large items ranging from aircraft engines, to semiconductor manufacturing equipment as well as cargo requiring a high degree of care such as lithium batteries and pharmaceuticals. From 2 July through 25 August 2019 the Blue Jay will operate connecting cargo flights from Narita International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport with a stop at Kansai International Airport. Starting from 26 August 2019 ANA will offer a direct cargo flight from Narita International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

“The Boeing 777F aircraft elevates the ANA fleet to a new level,” Toshiaki Toyama, president of ANA Cargo said. “These 777Fs are significantly larger than the Boeing 767F models used to ferry cargo in Asia, giving ANA additional flexibility in how the aircraft is used. The aircraft will aid in the expansion of ANA’s services to include a whole new set of customers and increase ANA’s ability to safely transport larger cargo,” he added.

ANA currently boasts a strong Asian flight network centred around the Okinawa freight hub and is planning to expand its network in North America this year with the addition of large-scale cargo flights complementing its current passenger air travel options.