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“Hina Matsuri” (in Japanese 雛祭り, Festival of Dolls) celebrated on March 3, is a once a year event during which little girls learn the importance of gentility and thoughtfulness, qualities they would need to become good wives and mothers in traditional Japanese society. A major feature of this celebration is the display of Hina Ningyo, special dolls representing aspects of the royal court during the Heian period (795-1185), usually arranged on a five- or seven-tiered stand that is covered with a celebratory red cloth and placed in the best room of the house.

Both JAL and ANA celebrated Hina Matsuri today with “Hina Matsuri Flights”, by running domestic flights, operated mostly by female ground staff, attendants, mechanics and co-pilots (unfortunately both airlines have yet to have any female pilots promoted to the rank of captain but will soon see one in years to come). At Tokyo Haneda Airport, today JAL1605 bound for Kumamoto and ANA193 bound for Oita were designated to be operated by female staff members. The team of solely female staff from both ANA and JAL, demonstrated each own roles and professions, and their contribution in this much-focused airlines industry.

The two airlines introduced Hina Matsuri flights last year with the intention to highlight the role of women in the airline industry. where most positions available to women were cabin attendants or check-in staff. This has changed and both airlines have began hiring female mechanics, cargo handlers as well as pilots in recent years.

ANA Group has recently announced its Corporate Plan for fiscal year 2010 , which runs from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. With the lethargic nature of economic recovery and the bankruptcy filed by Japan Airlines earlier this week, the trend of slow recovery for the Japanese aviation business is likely to continue.

2010 will be a year of expansion for ANA. Factors such as anticipated capacity increase at Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports, with the scheduled delivery and being the launching carrier of Boeing 787, as well as Open Skies between Japan and the United States, will bring business opportunities for ANA to expand.

ANA expansion will be carefully monitored and in parallel to the market and its demands. Listed are some of ANA plans;

Routes from and to Tokyo, Haneda
ANA will expand international routes from Haneda, starting with the introduction of the new Haneda to Taipei (Songshan) route, as well as increasing the frequency of Haneda to Seoul (Gimpo), Haneda to Shanghai (Hongqiao) and Haneda to Beijing during the day. ANA is also considering night-time operation for routes to the West Coast of the United States and Southeast Asia.

For domestic routes, ANA will increase the frequency of the Haneda to Okinawa route from August 1 to October 31, and is considering the reopening of Haneda to Tokushima route in conjunction with the expansion of landing slots in Haneda airport in March 2011.

Realignment of routes in Hokkaido
ANA will shift its 5 routes (14 flights/ day) that operate between Okadama (Hokkaido) and other local airports inside Hokkaido to New Chitose airport (Hokkaido). New Chitose airport connects Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, to a number of other cities in Japan, and this shift will capture the demands of customers from Hokkaido to access outside the prefecture more efficiently.

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