ANA to establish superiority now JAL is caught short; international and low cost operations the way

All Nippon Airways is Japan’s the quiet achiever. Privately owned and mostly profitable, ANA has always been overshadowed by its more conspicuous competitor and flag carrier, Japan Airlines. A quarter of a century ago, while it was the largest airline in the world measured in passengers uplifted, it was almost solely domestic and few outside Japan had even heard of the airline. Even today its international brand presence is strictly limited. The unbundling of JAL following its recent bankruptcy could offer ANA the opportunity to change all that – if it has the courage to grab the potential. In a “lethargic” domestic market, international is the place to be. And that goes for long and short (low cost!) haul alike.