All Nippon overtakes Japan Air as nation’s largest carrier

All Nippon Airways Co overtook its rival to become the nation’s largest carrier by passengers for the first time in nine years as Japan Airlines Co slashed flights under bankruptcy protection.

All Nippon Airways flew 43 million passengers in the year ended March 31, according to a statement on its website today. Japan Airlines passengers totaled 41.9 million in the period, according to its website.

ANA is adding international flights to increase sales after Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports boosted capacity. Japan Airlines has slashed international and domestic routes in a bid to return to profit after losing money in three of the four years before it entered bankruptcy protection in January 2010.

ANA carried 38.2 million passengers within Japan last fiscal year, a 0.8 per cent increase from the previous 12 months. The carrier flew 4.8 million overseas, a 17 per cent gain.

Japan Air became the nation’s largest carrier by passengers in the year ended March 2003 after it took over Japan Air System Co, the country’s third-largest carrier. It held the lead for eight years straight, according to figures compiled by Bloomberg.

Japan Air carried 33.3 million domestic passengers in fiscal year 2010, 11 per cent fewer than a year earlier, and 8.6 million international passengers, a 20 per cent drop.