All Nippon Airways starts flying out of Vancouver International Airport in March

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      Vancouver residents planning a trip to Japan now have a new option. All Nippon Airways will make its first flight to Canada on March 30, 2014.

      That's when the Tokyo-based airline will begin offering daily non-stop service between Vancouver International Airport and Tokyo Haneda Airport. According to a news release from the Vancouver Airport Authority, ANA will use Boeing 767-300 airplanes with capacity for 214 passengers. Flights will arrive at YVR at 2:55 p.m. and depart at 4:55 p.m.

      “We are very pleased to announce the launch of long-haul international services from Tokyo to Vancouver,” Osamu Shinobe, president and CEO of ANA, said in the release. “Vancouver will be the first destination in Canada for ANA, and we are confident that passenger demand will be high, not only in Japan but in other Asian cities."

      The airport authority says the ANA flights will up YVR’s capacity to Tokyo by 30 percent. It projects the daily service will lead to the creation of 356 jobs at YVR and in the area.

      “This new service will offer B.C. businesses more options to reach customers in central Tokyo, but also throughout Japan and Asia thanks to ANA’s strong domestic and international networks,” Craig Richmond, president and CEO of the Vancouver Airport Authority, said in the release. “ANA’s decision to fly to YVR further strengthens our position as North America’s gateway of choice to the Asia-Pacific region.”

      Haneda is the second busiest airport in Asia and one of two major airports serving the Tokyo area (Narita is the other one). ANA is a member of the Star Alliance.

      Comments

      5 Comments

      Meathead

      Dec 9, 2013 at 2:24pm

      Perfect! No more 1 hour $40 train rides to get into the city. Plus most domestic connections are at Haneda anyways so that's an even bigger bonus. Let's hope they have some cheap ticket sales too since my Japan fetish has become much more costly over the last couple of years.

      I don't know about this

      Dec 16, 2013 at 8:15pm

      Tokyo to vancouver route already has two daily flights by Japan airlines and
      Air Canada.
      I don't think vancouver has market for three flights a day to Tokyo, in fact,
      JAL has been downsizing aircraft 747-400 to 777 and now 767 over the years.
      Consider they have purchased brand new 787 for Boston and San Diego from Tokyo.

      Ana flys because of the Japan-Canada agreement on Haneda airport,
      Air canada flys Haneda-Toronto

      Japan's tourism and business have VERY small interest /demand to vancouver compare to similar size US cities, like Seattle or Denver. Japan is not immigrant-minded country like China and Korea who has stronger demand to travel to vancouver.

      I'm pretty sure Ana wouldn't fly daily for long.

      Steve Archer

      Dec 20, 2013 at 11:38am

      Another factor might be that ANA is discontinuing their Narita-Seattle flight early in the new year... I think that the later flight times, allowing folks to use the whole day in Tokyo prior to the later evening flight, combined with the proximity of Haneda to Tokyo as well as the better domestic connections, might make this quite competitive. Unfortunately, older 767 equipment is designated, without full flat up front, for those who can upgrade from time to time (using Star Alliance perks).

      @Steve Archer

      Dec 26, 2013 at 7:25pm

      I think you mean United Airlines is discontinuing Tokyo to Seattle flights. ANA is continuing it's 787 daily flights.

      I think the market can handle it. Air Canada can provide a lot of transfer traffic from not only Canada, but from many cities in the US. Haneda Airport also provides Japanese-Canadian expats with very easy connections to other Japanese airport locations, as well as any other passengers with tourism on the mind. I guess we'll find out how it plays. If anything, more competition is great for the flyer!

      ted kiren

      Jan 20, 2014 at 9:46am

      definitely ANA's service to Canada would spark the fierce competition as far as air fare in the market .
      there will be 7 daily flights to Japan from Canada
      AC YYZ-HND/787 YYZ-NRT/777 YYC-NRT/767 YVR-NRT/767
      JL YVR-NRT/787 and NH YVR-HND/767
      good for the travelling public now there are lots of choices and sure air fare will be very competitive ...
      the question is who/which route will survive in years to come.... personally it seems a little over capacity between 2 counties over 1500 seats/day
      Hope all will do well....