ANA Holdings is rolling out an innovative initiative at Kansai International Airport designed to make air travel more inclusive and accessible. The MoVA wheelchair and stroller rental trial program, which officially started on July 1, 2025, offers travelers the convenience of taking mobility aids with them for their entire journey, setting a new standard in airport services.
Developed with input from ANA’s own cabin attendants and local partners, the MoVA program aims to address long-standing gaps in mobility support for passengers of all ages. By offering self-propelled and electric wheelchairs as well as strollers for rent directly from the airport, ANA seeks to remove barriers to travel and demonstrate a strong commitment to universal tourism in Japan.
Enhancing Accessibility for All Travelers
The MoVA trial represents the first time a Japanese airline has provided a rental service in the airport arrival lobby that allows passengers to take wheelchairs or strollers out of the airport and use them throughout their entire journey. This new approach addresses a major limitation in traditional airport wheelchair services, which typically restrict usage to within the terminal itself, creating inconvenience for travelers who still need mobility assistance after leaving the airport.
ANA’s goal is to foster a society where everyone, regardless of age or ability, can enjoy the freedom of travel without worrying about mobility barriers. This commitment is especially important given Japan’s aging demographic and increasing interest in universal tourism. By providing a seamless, user-friendly rental experience, ANA is working to ensure that mobility needs are no longer an obstacle to travel enjoyment.
Through the MoVA trial, ANA aims to collect valuable feedback and insights about user profiles and operational logistics. This data will guide future expansions and refinements, laying the groundwork for a service model that can be scaled to other airports and major facilities across Japan.
Details of the MoVA Trial Program
The MoVA program currently offers five self-propelled wheelchairs, two electric wheelchairs, and five strollers available for rental. These mobility aids are intended for passengers flying on domestic or international ANA flights, as well as ANA code-share flights at Kansai International Airport (KIX). This ensures that a wide range of travelers, from families with small children to elderly passengers or those with temporary injuries, can benefit from the service.
Rentals can be picked up and returned at the ANA Domestic Departure Counter on the second floor of Terminal 1, with business hours running from 6:00 to 21:00 JST. Reservations are managed online through the Veltra website, offering an easy, multilingual booking process that will soon include pages in Chinese and Korean to better serve international travelers.
The trial period is set to run from July 1 through October 31, 2025. During this time, ANA will monitor usage patterns, customer satisfaction, and operational challenges, using the insights gained to determine how the service can be expanded, improved, and integrated into broader accessibility initiatives.
A Collaborative Effort to Solve Real Problems
The MoVA project is the result of collaboration between ANA Holdings and partners Care’x Inc. and Imasen Engineering Corporation. Importantly, the idea was sparked by direct experiences and recommendations from ANA cabin attendants, who regularly interact with passengers and have firsthand knowledge of the obstacles faced by those with mobility needs.
Through these daily interactions, ANA’s staff noticed that many travelers found existing wheelchair services inadequate because they could not continue to use the equipment beyond the airport. This feedback, combined with discussions with local government stakeholders, underscored the need for a more seamless and practical solution that could support door-to-door mobility.
By listening to the voices of both staff and passengers, ANA was able to design a service that directly addresses real-world challenges. The MoVA program exemplifies how thoughtful, customer-informed innovation can lead to meaningful improvements in the travel experience for diverse user groups.
Supporting Japan’s Universal Tourism Goals
Japan has been placing increasing emphasis on promoting universal tourism—a strategy to ensure that travel experiences are accessible to all, regardless of age or ability. This is particularly important as the country’s demographic profile continues to shift toward an older population, making mobility support a growing concern for both domestic and inbound tourism.
By launching MoVA, ANA is directly contributing to these national goals, demonstrating leadership in making air travel more inclusive. The program aligns with broader societal trends that prioritize barrier-free infrastructure, customer-first service design, and policies that recognize the diverse needs of travelers.
ANA’s vision of “Uniting the world in wonder” is given concrete form through initiatives like MoVA, which aim to remove practical barriers to exploration and enjoyment. By ensuring that everyone can travel with ease, ANA is helping to foster a more equitable and connected world.
Future Plans and Expansion
ANA has made it clear that the current MoVA trial is just the first step. Based on data and feedback collected during the trial period, the airline plans to refine service operations, expand the range of rental items, and identify additional airports and facilities where the service can be introduced.
Ultimately, ANA aims to establish a “rent anywhere, return anywhere” model that provides maximum flexibility and convenience for travelers. Such a system would allow users to pick up a mobility aid at one location and return it at another, supporting seamless travel not only within airports but across cities and regions.
This vision reflects ANA’s broader commitment to continuous improvement and customer-focused innovation. By investing in services that genuinely enhance accessibility, ANA is working to stay ahead of evolving customer needs while setting an example for the aviation industry as a whole.
Commitment to Sustainable and Inclusive Growth
ANA Holdings has a long-standing reputation for excellence in service and sustainability. The company has been recognized with SKYTRAX’s 5-Star rating for twelve consecutive years and has received the ATW Airline of the Year award four times. Additionally, ANAHD has been selected for both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Asia Pacific Index for multiple years, underscoring its dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities.
Initiatives like MoVA align with ANA’s ESG commitments by promoting social inclusion and equal access to travel experiences. By enabling barrier-free transportation, ANA is not only improving customer service but also contributing to broader societal goals related to aging populations, universal design, and sustainable tourism development.
As the travel industry faces pressures to become more equitable and responsible, ANA’s proactive approach with MoVA highlights the importance of anticipating customer needs and responding with innovative, practical solutions. In doing so, ANA continues to strengthen its reputation as an industry leader committed to making travel accessible and enjoyable for all.
