ANA Holdings Inc. launched its third airline brand AirJapan on Friday, with the medium-haul low-cost carrier targeting the growing number of tourists to Japan from other Asian countries following the full removal of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The parent of All Nippon Airways said AirJapan will operate six round-trip flights per week between Narita airport near Tokyo and Bangkok using Boeing 787-8 aircraft, with its first flight departing the airport Friday afternoon.

The aircraft in an all-economy layout offers the same legroom as full-service carrier flights, according to ANA Holdings.

The new airline is planning to commence flights between Narita and Incheon airport near Seoul on Feb. 22 and between the Japanese airport and Singapore on April 26.

Japan has seen inbound tourism boom again after the removal last year of border control measures implemented during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The number of foreign visitors to Japan grew more than sixfold to 25.07 million in 2023 from a year earlier, with recent monthly data showing a return to levels seen before the coronavirus outbreak.

==Kyodo

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