All Nippon Airways (ANA) has opened a new facility in Hokkaido to manage flight operations in the event of large-scale disasters and terrorist attacks as reported by the Japan Times.
The Japanese airline moved part of its operations from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to the new facility, which began full-scale operations earlier this month in July.
The new facility is designed to ensure business continuity and to support disaster-hit areas, including through the transport of emergency supplies, if a major disaster strikes the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Prior to the establishment of the facility, ANA managed about 850 domestic and international flights a day from Haneda.
The company decided to disperse its bases due to the risk that flight management operations concentrated in Tokyo could be disrupted by an earthquake directly under the capital or in the Nankai Trough, or an eruption of Mount Fuji.
The new facility has about 60 employees from various divisions to maintain operations during the first week following a possible major disaster or terrorist attack. In addition to aircraft operation management, the facility can coordinate crew schedules and decide whether aircraft experiencing technical issues can remain in service.
Under normal circumstances, the facility handles domestic flight coordination and prepares flight plans for international services. Its location is not disclosed due to safety concerns.
In March, ANA was selected as a designated public corporation under the basic law on disaster management. The company has been revising its business continuity plan to adopt a so-called all-hazard approach for responding to a wide range of disasters and emergencies.
ANA also celebrated the 40th anniversary of its international scheduled flights on March 3, 2026. The airline’s international network has grown to 55 routes serving 40 cities worldwide, including recent additions such as Milan, Stockholm and Istanbul.
Photo credit : Airbus
