Japan’s ANA to launch strategic partnership with Vietnam Airlines on July 1
On May 28, the airlines signed a deal in which ANA purchased 8.771 percent of Vietnam Airlines for VND2.43 trillion ($109 million).
All transactions related to the agreement, whose signing was witnessed by Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, are slated to be completed on July 1, after which ANA will officially become Vietnam Airlines’ strategic partner, the Vietnamese carrier said in a press release.
ANA is expected to make use of its largest-ever outbound investment to expand its Asian network, first by cooperating with Vietnam Airlines to offer 30 codeshare services for 30 domestic routes in Japan, and ten routes between Vietnam and Japan.
The Japanese carrier will also have a representative on Vietnam Airlines’ board of executives, and will share its administrative experience to help the Vietnamese airline improve quality and optimize operations.
The two airlines will expand cooperation to passenger and cargo services, in-flight meals, plane maintenance and other services at Vietnamese and Japanese airports.
Vietnam Airlines currently has 89 planes in its fleet, including the latest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-900 XWB.
It is flying on 20 domestic services and 29 international routes. Vietnam Airlines offers 66 flights a week to Japanese airports including Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, and Fukuoka.
