The integration of ANA and NCA's 3 companies created ANA Nippon Cargo, while the 747-8F business changed to become a wholly owned subsidiary of NCA. As JAL ends domestic cargo aircraft operations, both airlines are expanding their networks from Narita.
Japan's air cargo market is undergoing major change, and the ANA Group has decided to integrate ANA Cargo, NCA and NCA Japan and establish the new ANA Nippon Cargo brand. As part of the integration, the 747-8F business will become a wholly owned subsidiary of NCA. Based in Narita, NCA will strengthen large-freighter services linking Europe, the Americas and Asia.
In FY2024, combined freight traffic for ANA and NCA totaled 6.09 billion FTK, more than twice JAL's 2.80 billion FTK. Based on a comparison with 2025, ANA and NCA are expected to rank 13th worldwide.
The aim of the integration is not simply to add their transport volumes, but to integrate sales, reservations, cargo-space management, customs clearance and ground transportation, evolving into an air logistics platform linking Asia, Japan and Europe and the Americas. JAL, meanwhile, is expected to be able to build its own network after ending cargo aircraft operations by using 767 freighters and cargo space on passenger aircraft.
Narita Airport holds the key. It is expected to handle approximately 2.09 million tonnes of cargo in 2025 and is proceeding with the reorganization and automation of its cargo facilities. Combining the two airlines' cargo volumes would give Narita a scale equivalent to the world's seventh-largest cargo hub, with the potential to grow into a strategic freight hub linking Japan's manufacturing sector with the rest of the world.