First Scheduled Boeing 787 Dreamliner Service in San Francisco Bay Area
SAN JOSE, 2013-01-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — The dream of All Nippon Airways (ANA) offering nonstop service between Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) and Narita International Airport (NRT) in Tokyo became reality today. After many years of discussions between ANA and a San José public-private team, Silicon Valley business and leisure travelers are now enjoying ANA’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner service between SJC and Tokyo, with easy connections to Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Delhi, Singapore, Taipei and other Asia destinations.
Before the sold out flight departed this morning, inaugural ceremony remarks included those of ANA Chairman of the Board Yoji Ohashi, City of San José Mayor Chuck Reed, former Secretary of Transportation and Commerce Norman Y. Mineta, US Ambassador in Japan John V. Roos, and Consul General of Japan in San Francisco Hiroshi Inomata. Guests and passengers enjoyed a traditional Japanese ritual – or kagami-wari – of breaking a sake barrel cover, signifying a new beginning. Aviation Director Bill Sherry led a toast to warmly welcome ANA to SJC. Emceeing the event was Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino who was instrumental in garnering the commitment of the business community to support the new service.
“We are pleased to launch ANA’s new direct service between Tokyo and San José today,” Mayor Chuck Reed said. “Whether on business or visiting friends and family, Silicon Valley residents will find that ANA’s new flight offers a convenient connection to Japan and the Pacific Rim. I thank ANA for their investment in San José and encourage all Silicon Valley residents to experience the comfort, efficiency and ease of flying out of our state-of-the-art airport.”
ANA operates five weekly flights – Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – on state of the art, luxury-filled, Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, departing SJC at 11:45 a.m., and arriving NRT at 4:10 p.m. the following day. The return flight leaves Tokyo at 5:35 p.m., arriving San José at 10:10 a.m. the same morning. The afternoon arrival in Tokyo is timed to allow easy connections to destinations throughout Asia. Book tickets now at 800-235-9262 or fly-ana.com.
“We are confident that passenger demand will remain high between San Jose and Japan, as well as other Asian cities, with Tokyo as the gateway into Asia. Reservations for the route are already showing great demand and we are excited that customers will enjoy ANA’s utmost service with Japanese hospitality on our innovative Dreamliner,” shared ANA President and CEO Shinichiro Ito in a statement from Tokyo.
ANA’s new service adds an important boost to the local economy. The economic impact is estimated at $78 million in the first year of operation and the addition of 61 San Jose-based jobs. The nonstop international flight helps drive two-way trade and investment, critical to the economies of Japan and the San José region. San José is the eighth largest US exporter to Japan, and this new flight facilitates even stronger growth.
“Winning the direct flight between San Jose and Tokyo with ANA was a three-year, creative and hard-fought win,” said Carl Guardino. “We worked hand-in-glove with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Airport staff, and many others, including our Leadership Group members who participated in several CEO polls and a CEO Task Force. Now the real work begins – and that is ensuring that our business community stays united in promoting ANA. If ANA is successful, then we build on this success to attract other airlines and other nonstop domestic and international destinations for Mineta San Jose International Airport.”
ANA was the launch customer for the Dreamliner, built mainly from carbon fiber composite material and featuring increased fuel efficiency and passenger comfort. “What is unique about San José’s new flight to Tokyo is that ANA is an outstanding and innovative aviation leader offering the first scheduled Boeing 787 Dreamliner service in the San Francisco Bay Area,” stated Bill Sherry.
“Consistent with its business focus, ANA chose SJC for the Airport’s convenience and ultra-modern facilities, at the center of Silicon Valley, rebuilt in 2010. We will continue to work closely with ANA staff to ensure the success of this important new service,” he continued.
Significant demand exists for the new ANA flight to Tokyo. Hundreds of business headquarters, including many Japanese companies, are located within a 12-mile radius of SJC.
Additionally, San José’s Asian population is the third largest in the US per the 2010 Census.
About All Nippon Airways
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the ninth largest airline in the world by revenues and the largest in Japan by passenger numbers. Founded in 1952, it flies today to 76 domestic and international cities in a fleet of 231 aircraft serving a network of 174 routes. ANA has 33,000 employees and operates about 1,000 flights a day. In 2011, it carried 43 million passengers and generated revenues of $17.1 billion. ANA has been a core member of Star Alliance since 1999 and launched a joint-venture with United Airlines on trans-Pacific and Asia routes in April 2011; ANA launched a joint-venture with Lufthansa on Japan-Europe routes in October 2011. ANA has more than 23 million members belonging to its Frequent Flyer Program (ANA Mileage Club). ANA is the launch customer for the world’s newest and most advanced passenger aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
About Mineta San José International Airport
Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) is Silicon Valley’s airport, a self-supporting enterprise owned and operated by the City of San José. SJC served 8.4 million passengers in 2011, and offers approximately 120 daily flights on 12 domestic and international carriers to 30 nonstop destinations.
The airport’s $1.3 billion comprehensive modernization project, completed in 2010, makes SJC the most technologically advanced airport in the nation and the first terminal awarded LEED Silver certification for environmental sustainability. Silicon Valley’s airport is located in San José, California’s third largest city and the nation’s tenth largest city. For more airport information, visit www.flysanjose.com.
– SJC –
Contact:
Rosemary Barnes
(408) 392-3608 / rbarnes@sjc.org