35 Years of Service: Celebrating launch of Tokyo to Bangkok/London routes
ANA commemorates the milestone anniversary at key
international gateways with gifts and celebrations
In this latest installment of “A New Chapter of Flight,” ANA celebrates 35 years of service on the Tokyo to Bangkok and Tokyo to London routes. Last month, ANA commemorated the milestone at key gateways in Thailand and the United Kingdom.
Bangkok: Connecting Southeast Asia and beyond
On July 14, 1989, ANA launched its inaugural flight connecting the cities of Tokyo and Bangkok. As a major hub in Southeast Asia, Bangkok was a fitting choice for ANA's first gateway in the region.
Today, ANA Group's three carriers— ANA, Peach Aviation and AirJapan— operate a total of five roundtrip flights daily between the two countries.
To mark 35 years of service, the ANA Bangkok (BKK) team hosted a commemorative event and distributed gifts to departing passengers at the gate on July 14, 2024.
We spoke with Daishi Yoshihara, General Manager; Chisato Takeda, Station Manager; and Takafumi Sakai, Administration in Bangkok to learn more about their team.
The ANA Bangkok team
With over 25 years of combined experience at ANA, both Yoshihara and Takeda have worked in several departments before joining the BKK team.
“Every day has been exciting and full of new discoveries,” Yoshihara said. “I'd describe the BKK team as highly efficient and dependable qualities developed over 35 years of solid operations.
For Takeda and Sakai, the team is defined by their strong teamwork, open-mindedness and mutual respect.
“Many of our colleagues have been with us for numerous years. I believe our team members are integral to our 35 years of success,” Takeda said.
To promote unity and motivation, the team regularly recognizes members for their achievements and participates in activities such as dance contests.
“As a general manager, I think it's important to step outside of your comfort zone to build deeper connections with your team members,” Yoshihara added.
What makes Bangkok unique as a gateway?
“Bangkok's proximity to other cities in Southeast Asia makes it a popular gateway with many international passengers connecting through us,” Yoshihara said. “We see visitors connecting through Tokyo when traveling between Bangkok and Europe or North America.”
The BKK team also handles a large volume of business travelers flying between Thailand and Japan. For both tourists and business travelers, Bangkok offers a unique blend of charm and opportunity.
“The modern skyscrapers and large shopping malls blend with traditional Buddhist architecture and food stalls to create an atmosphere unlike any other city in the world,” Sakai said.
Looking ahead
For Yoshihara, Takeda, Sakai and the rest of the ANA BKK team, the goal is to continue modernizing operations to deliver ANA's high-quality service to passengers.
“In five to 10 years, I believe there will be a lot more automation in airport operations, so it's important to adapt to these changes,” Takeda said.
Yoshihara, along with his team, aims to not only maintain but also strengthen the bond between Japan and Thailand in the years ahead.
“I want to thank our customers, stakeholders and colleagues for their continued support of ANA,” Yoshihara said. “We will continue to deliver the highest standard of service excellence, while enjoying our work as a team.”
“Without the dedication of our team, we wouldn't have achieved this milestone. We look forward to reaching our 40th anniversary and beyond,” Sakai added.
London: Gateway for business travel throughout Europe
The week after ANA's inaugural Tokyo-Bangkok flight, ANA also launched its first non-stop flight between Tokyo and London on July 22, 1989. Today, ANA operates one daily roundtrip between Haneda and Heathrow (LHR).
Julie Murphy, Head of Trade Relations for ANA Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); and Ingrid Steveniers, Passenger Service Manager at London Heathrow, shared their insights into ANA's operations in London.
Evolving to a shifting market
Since joining the ANA team over 25 years ago, Murphy and Steveniers have played crucial roles in ANA's growing operations and presence in London.
The London team has earned numerous awards for delivering high-quality, luxury experiences in the UK market, connecting countless business travelers between London and Japan. In 2019, London served as the inaugural destination of ANA's renowned flagship First and Business Class products, THE Suite and THE Room.
In April 2024, the EMEA team restructured to better address the demands of a post-pandemic market. The updated structure emphasizes broader pan-European strategy to highlight ANA's status as a premier carrier connecting Europe and Japan.
“We didn't just pick up where we left off before the pandemic, we evolved alongside the changing Europe markets,” Murphy said. “ANA has enhanced all aspects of our operations, especially with our customer-facing innovations in products and services.”
ANA at London Heathrow
As a Star Alliance member, ANA now operates flights from Terminal 2 at London Heathrow (LHR), sharing the facility with 23 other international Star Alliance carriers as of July 2024.
Murphy, who also chairs the Steering Committee for Star Alliance in the UK and Ireland, notes that “LHR is unique for its connectivity and convenience, as Star Alliance partners can seamlessly connect passengers from an ANA flight to Europe and beyond.”
“We're proud to handle all operations in London ourselves to ensure direct delivery of ANA quality to our customers,” Steveniers said. Today, the LHR team has expanded to include colleagues from diverse backgrounds across various sectors.
Looking ahead
Murphy hopes to position ANA as the leading carrier between London and Japan while continuing to offer customers more innovative and premium products. On the operations side, Steveniers aims to work with international partners to provide the best service and connectivity for all passengers.
In the coming months, ANA will launch three new routes to the European market: Milan, Stockholm and Istanbul. Murphy, Steveniers and the London team are eager to see these new routes further enhance ANA's connectivity between Tokyo and London.