ANA Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Tokyo/Narita–Los Angeles Route

All Nippon Airways (ANA) held an event on July 16 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its Tokyo/Narita–Los Angeles route, timed to coincide with the departure of Flight NH6 from Tokyo/Narita to Los Angeles.

A commemorative ceremony was initially planned at Gate 56 in Terminal 1, but the ceremony itself was canceled after the departure time was delayed by one hour, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. A photo session for media and passengers was held.

The photo session was attended by Fumie Tateishi, ANA’s Narita Airport Branch Manager, along with employees wearing the current uniforms of ground staff, mechanics, and ground handling personnel. Employees wearing the uniforms used by cabin attendants and ground staff 40 years ago also took part.

They were also joined by Soracchi, ANA’s official social media mascot; Unarikun, the tourism mascot of Narita City; and Kuutan, Narita Airport’s official image character.

Near the gate, a special panel recreated the gate decorations from 40 years ago. Balloon art featuring palm trees, speech-bubble props reading “HELLO LA!,” and photo panels showing the ribbon-cutting ceremony held when the route was launched were also installed, creating a photo booth for passengers.

Upon boarding, all passengers received commemorative giveaways, including a boarding certificate, sticker, and luggage tag.

Flight NH6 departed at 5:57 p.m. On the apron, employees saw off the aircraft while holding a banner reading, “Congratulations on the 40th anniversary. Have a comfortable journey. Thank you for flying with ANA.”

A total of 199 passengers, including one infant, boarded the flight: 46 in Business Class, 16 in Premium Economy Class, and 136 in Economy Class.

The Tokyo/Narita–Los Angeles route was launched on July 16, 1986. It was ANA’s first route to cross the Pacific and serve the U.S. West Coast, and it is the airline’s longest-running currently operating outbound route from Narita Airport.

Speaking to reporters, Branch Manager Tateishi said, “It was our first route to cross the Pacific, so reaching the 40th anniversary is deeply meaningful.” Regarding the route’s current passenger demand, she explained that while ANA’s international network has shifted toward Haneda Airport, the Narita route is sustained primarily by connecting passengers traveling from Asia to North America via Japan. She also revealed that approximately 80% of passengers on the flight were foreign nationals, while travelers departing from Japan accounted for around 20%.

Looking ahead, Tateishi said, “The flight currently operates at a time that is convenient for connecting passengers, but if rail travel between Haneda and Narita becomes faster in the future, we would like to make further efforts to encourage passengers departing from Japan to use the service as well.” With Narita Airport’s future expansion also in mind, she indicated that ANA will continue strengthening its network to North America.