Now Reading: ANA extends Narita-Chennai flight suspension to March 2027
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ANA extends Narita-Chennai flight suspension to March 2027
All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, has extended its suspension of flights between Tokyo's Narita airport and Chennai until March 27, 2027. The airline had earlier suspended operations on the route…
All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, has extended its suspension of flights between Tokyo's Narita airport and Chennai until March 27, 2027. The airline had earlier suspended operations on the route from March 29 to October 24, 2026, and has now prolonged the halt, according to a company release issued on Thursday.
ANA announced the extension as part of its revised flight schedule for the second half of fiscal year 2026, which includes increased international flying. Industry sources said the suspension could be due to lower occupancy on the route.
Passengers like Sankari, a Chennai native now living near Tokyo, said they have to travel via Singapore or Hong Kong to reach Japan, and hope ANA will resume the direct service.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The suspension of the Narita-Chennai route, one of the few direct connections between Japan and south India, points to sustained weak demand on a niche long-haul sector. Chennai serves a large diaspora and IT workforce, but competing hubs like Singapore and Dubai offer more frequent connections, making direct flights economically viable only with high and consistent occupancy. ANA's decision will force passengers from Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states to add transit stops, increasing travel time by four to six hours. The next signal to watch is whether ANA restores the route in its winter 2027 schedule or writes it off entirely.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
