Honolulu became the 11th city airport in the nation to offer service on “superjumbo” jets when All Nippon Airways began service Friday on its 520-seat A380s, the world’s largest wide-body passenger jetliner.
The colorful Airbus A380 “Flying Honu” is painted to look like a friendly turtle, which is a good thing since the plane, which cost hundreds of millions, is approximately the length of an imposing 20-story building.
Why the bodacious investment? The novelty of the A380s and the volume that they add to the Hawaii market could help ANA secure more traction from a market traditionally dominated by Japan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
To be sure, passengers aren’t going to be exposed to many A380s. The aircraft came into popularity in a world where “bigger was better,” and Airbus announced in February that it will halt production of the A380 in 2021.
Modern technology has made smaller planes, like the 250- to 300-seat A350 or the 314- to 396-seat 777, more efficient. The smaller jets have proved easier to fill, and they offer even lower unit costs than the A380.
Still, ANA is banking on the fact that some customers will enjoy the novelty and comfort of the roomier double-decker A380.
That was certainly the case for Tokyo residents Yosuke and Aya Miura, who were wed here Monday and planned their nuptials around the ANA launch, which flew in from Narita International Airport.
“We had a dream to celebrate here in Hawaii,” said Yosuke Miura. “There was a lot of media coverage about the A380. We wanted to be on the (return) flight.”
ANA ensured that the “Flying Honu” is decked out to take advantage of all of its space, even offering luxury touches at the economy and premium levels that it hopes will appeal to leisure travelers in search of a better experience. It offers the first economy-class couch seats that fold down into a family bed. The aircraft also offers Japanese Toto washlets, or bidet-style toilets, in every restroom across the classes. There’s even a separate nursing area for mothers and a bar where first-class customers can gather.
Akino Kato, who was traveling with her husband and 3-year-old daughter, said they planned their Hawaii trip dates so that they could book their return on the A380, which offered family-friendly couch seats.
“We bought four seats that fold into a bed so our daughter can sleep. Last year we visited Australia and it was very tight. This will be a much better way to travel,” Kato said.
Passengers also have the opportunity in Honolulu to wait for flights in a highly upgraded lounge, the only overseas lounges operated by ANA. The ANA suite lounge, which is available only to ANA’s first-class passengers, seats 70. Another ANA lounge also accommodates business class, premium economy and other select passengers, and seats 300. The more spacious lounge is open to any traveler for a $40 fee and offers views of Diamond Head. There’s also a children’s play spot and a nursing room for mothers.
Honolulu is important to ANA, which is finally able to offer first-class service in this market, said Shigeru “Sean” Hattori, ANA’s senior vice president of the Americas and general manager of New York.
“We want to make some difference compared with another airline,” Hattori said. “We’ve tried to make this product very comfortable — not only seats, but meal service as well. We want to provide ‘omotenashi’ (Japanese-style hospitality) service. It’s a customer-first focus,” he said.
Unlike service standards from other cultures, omotenashi aims to anticipate and fulfill customer expectations in advance of their requests. The carrier is especially doing this in the family market, which makes up a large portion of Hawaii’s leisure travelers.
Friday’s launch puts ANA on the path toward achieving its 2020 goal of doubling the number of its seats that connect Honolulu and Tokyo. ANA currently offers three daily flights between those cities on its Boeing 787 aircraft, which carry 200 to 250 passengers. The carrier will add service four times weekly on its A380 aircraft, which will seat approximately 520 passengers. ANA plans to add a second A380 to the Hawaii market in July and a third in July 2020.
Gov. David Ige said the state made $13 million in airport improvements so A380 service could begin in Honolulu. By 2020, ANA’s new service is expected to bring an additional $285 million annually to the state economy and as much as $30 million in annual tax revenue, Ige said.
“I’m excited. This day was four years in the making as we partnered with ANA to improve their service from Hawaii to Tokyo,” Ige said.
Ige also thanked the carrier for its community investments, including support to beach cleanup organizations, bike sharing, reforestation to reduce carbon impacts and sponsoring a music festival.
