Japan's ANA Places 77 Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer Order

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ANA Plans Major Fleet Expansion with 77 New Aircraft Across Three Manufacturers

ANA Holdings has announced a major fleet expansion with orders for 77 new aircraft from Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer, valued at approximately $14.7 billion.

This significant order includes 68 firm commitments and 9 options across multiple aircraft types.

This move supports the airline's long-term growth strategy and will help enhance both international and domestic operations.

Key Points

• The order includes 18 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with GE engines for international routes, particularly targeting growing Asia-North America demand

• ANA will become Japan's first operator of the Embraer E190-E2, with 15 firm orders and 5 options for these 100-seat jets to serve domestic routes

• The airline's low-cost carrier Peach Aviation will receive 10 Airbus A321neo aircraft and 3 Airbus A321XLR aircraft for medium to long-haul operations

• Additional orders include 14 Airbus A321neo and 12 Boeing 737-8 aircraft (8 firm orders and 4 options) to update the current fleet

• ANA has also finalized options for 5 Boeing 787-9 aircraft and 10 Boeing 737-8 aircraft from previous commitments

• Deliveries are scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2028 and continue through 2033

• By FY2030, ANA Holdings expects to operate approximately 320 aircraft, with fuel-efficient models comprising 91% of its fleet

What It Means

This massive order is a strategic move by ANA to capitalize on Japan's booming tourism market while modernizing its fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft.

The diverse manufacturer approach gives ANA flexibility across various route types, with the Embraer E2s particularly interesting for right-sizing domestic operations.

The A321XLR acquisition for Peach signals a potential shift toward budget long-haul routes.

Other Key Aviation Industry Updates for Today 👇

2. Etihad Plans Billion-Dollar IPO This Week

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways plans to announce a $1 billion IPO this week, offering 20% of the business through new shares to fund expansion goals. This would be the first major Gulf airline IPO in nearly two decades.

The airline, owned by Abu Dhabi's $225 billion wealth fund ADQ, recently reported its highest-ever annual profit of $476 million for 2024.

Etihad aims to expand to over 125 destinations by 2030 as part of Abu Dhabi's economic diversification efforts.

3. Newark-Vegas Flight Returns After Mechanical Issue

A United Airlines Boeing 757 carrying 176 passengers and 6 crew members made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport this morning due to a possible mechanical issue.

Flight 1544, which departed around 6 a.m. for Las Vegas, returned to Newark about an hour into the journey. All passengers deplaned safely, and United arranged an alternate aircraft.

This marks the third emergency landing for United at Newark in recent weeks.

4. Qatar Airways Accelerates Starlink Rollout On Its Boeing 777 Fleet

Qatar Airways has installed Starlink high-speed internet on 30 aircraft, covering over 50% of its Boeing 777 fleet.

The airline has dramatically reduced installation time to just 9.5 hours per aircraft, down from 2-3 days.

After launching the world's first Boeing 777 Starlink-equipped flight in October 2024, Qatar Airways now plans to complete the entire 777 fleet rollout by Q2 2025, followed by A350 aircraft.

The free service offers gate-to-gate connectivity with no data caps and a simple ‘one-click-access’.

5. Sun Country Open to ULCC Mergers While Focusing on Amazon Cargo Growth

Sun Country Airlines has expressed openness to potential mergers.

The Minneapolis-based carrier believes industry consolidation in the low-cost sector makes sense, though its unique business model—including 12 cargo aircraft for Amazon with 8 more coming—complicates potential deals.

Despite these challenges, Dave Davis, Sun Country's CFO, stated, "Some combinations are coming" as the ultra-low-cost carrier sector faces profitability pressures.

Sun Country currently operates 45 passenger aircraft serving 102 airports.

6. Ondas and Volatus Unite Drone Technologies for Border Monitoring

Ondas Holdings and Volatus Aerospace announced a strategic partnership to enhance border surveillance capabilities.

Ondas' subsidiary American Robotics will provide its Optimus System—a fully autonomous 24/7 drone platform—while Volatus will integrate it with their Operations Control Center.

The partnership targets the 5,525-mile US-Canada border, offering persistent aerial monitoring with automated battery swapping and multiple sensors including LIDAR.

Volatus will market the system and serve as a training center, with plans to expand services to the UK and Africa.

7. Boeing Selects Collins Aerospace for F-15EX Ejection Seat Contract

Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, has won a contract from Boeing Defense to provide 144 ACES II ejection seats for the U.S. Air Force's F-15EX fleet.

The advanced seats, known for reducing ejection-related injuries, have saved over 700 lives since 1978.

Currently, 6,000 ACES II seats serve in 29 air forces globally, including various USAF aircraft.

The contract work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, further cementing Collins' position in military safety systems.

8. Korean Air Deploys Modern Fleet for Expanded Japan Operations

Korean Air is significantly expanding its Japan service with multiple new routes and aircraft upgrades.

The airline will launch Seoul-Kobe service with two daily flights starting April 18, 2025, using Boeing 737-900ER aircraft initially before transitioning to 737 MAX 8s in October.

Additionally, Korean Air deployed eco-friendly Airbus A350-900s on routes to Osaka and Fukuoka in January 2025, and resumed service to Nagasaki in October 2024.

This expansion has boosted Korean Air's Japan capacity to 106% of pre-pandemic levels.

9. Belgian 3D Printing Pioneer Secures Key Aerospace Metal Certification

Materialise has received EN 9100 certification for its metal additive manufacturing processes for aerospace. The company already held this certification for polymer processes, having produced over 500,000 flying parts to date.

This milestone enables Materialise to provide flight-ready metal parts, particularly targeting low-criticality components like seat bezels and interior trims.

The certification complements Materialise's existing credentials, including EASA Production Organization Approval and Airbus AIPI standards certification.

10. Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion Helicopter Deployment Progress

The U.S. Marine Corps currently operates 18 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters, with 74 more in production or under contract.

The Marines delayed the first deployment to 2026, a year later than previously planned, to ensure adequate spare components and repair capability remain stateside.

The CH-53K, which can lift over 18 tons, reached Initial Operational Capability in April 2022 with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 and will eventually replace approximately 200 aging CH-53E Super Stallions.