{"id":70489,"date":"2026-08-07T10:49:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T10:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/70489\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T10:49:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T10:49:46","slug":"40-year-celebration-ana-connecting-tokyo-to-los-angeles-and-washington-d-c-%ef%bd%9cana-group-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/70489\/","title":{"rendered":"40 Year Celebration: ANA Connecting Tokyo to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.\uff5cANA GROUP STORIES"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026 \/ 08 \/ 07<\/p>\n

Routes\u30fbAircraft<\/p>\n

In March 1986, ANA launched international flights between Tokyo and Guam, marking a significant milestone towards becoming the global airline it is today.<\/p>\n

Four months later, ANA expanded again, launching international non-stop flights to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., routes that would connect the two cities to Japan for the next four decades.<\/p>\n

In this installment of \u201cA New Chapter of Flight,\u201d we sat down with colleagues to get a look at the past, present and future of ANA\u2019s operations at the two gateways in the United States.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles: A Global Operations Milestone<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

From left to right: Richard Ide, Vice President of Airport Administration, ANA The Americas; Courtney Moore of LAWA, Yoshiyuki Hirooka, General Manager of ANA LAX; Hon Seng Au, Station Manager of ANA LAX<\/p>\n

On July 16, 1986, ANA launched its inaugural flight connecting the cities of Los Angeles and Tokyo. Today, there are three daily roundtrip flights that connect Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo\u2019s Haneda and Narita Airports.<\/p>\n

We spoke with Hon Seng Au, Station Manager in Los Angeles to learn more about the team and the future of LAX. Au joined ANA in 2018 as Station Manager, following decades of experience for another airline at LAX.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Team LAX at the gate on July 16, 2026<\/p>\n

Team LAX<\/p>\n

\u201cTeam LAX is resilient, collaborative and has a quiet strength,\u201d Au said. \u201cDespite the many challenges from 9\/11, SARS, to COVID, we work together to continue to provide a safe and excellent experience to our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team works flexibly to accommodate changes and requests while adapting and cooperating with local airport agencies such as Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to ensure that travelers have a smooth experience at the airport.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Passengers boarding the inaugural flight from Narita to LAX on July 16, 1986<\/p>\n

The future of LAX<\/p>\n

Los Angeles will host a succession of prestigious sporting events through 2028. In anticipation, Team LAX hopes to leverage use of IT to provide a better travel experience for passengers.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom web check-in on the ANA App to self-service kiosks and ticket counters, we hope passengers can have the seamless experience they desire,\u201d said Au. \u201cAt the boarding gate, passengers will be able to board the flight via contactless facial recognition e-gates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Flight NH5 to Narita taking off from LAX on July 16, 2026<\/p>\n

At LAX, an automated people mover system known as \u201cSkylink\u201d is under construction, aiming to improve connectivity for passengers getting around the airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Skylink aims to change the airport\u2019s historic reputation for traffic bottlenecks around the \u2018horseshoe\u2019 traffic loop,\u201d said Au. \u201cThe new driverless, electric train system will improve the arrival experience for international travelers.\u201d<\/p>\n

With improvements through ANA\u2019s digital transformation and LAX\u2019s infrastructure on the horizon, Au hopes that Team LAX can continue to provide a comfortable experience for passengers traveling through the airport.<\/p>\n

Washington, D.C.: Connecting Two Capitals<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Mayumi Folta, Passenger Service Coordinator (left) and Yoshiko Weaver, Traffic Manager (right)<\/p>\n

On July 26, 1986, just ten days after the inaugural Los Angeles flight, ANA began non-stop service between Washington, D.C. and Tokyo. Today, the two capital cities are connected with one daily roundtrip flight from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) to Haneda Airport.<\/p>\n

We spoke with Yoshiko Weaver, Traffic Manager, and Mayumi Folta, Passenger Service Coordinator to learn about the history of ANA\u2019s service to IAD.<\/p>\n

Folta joined ANA in 1990, following a tenure with one of ANA\u2019s contracted ground handling companies. Weaver joined ANA in 1996, working through various positions in passenger and flight operations throughout the years.<\/p>\n

Historic moments<\/p>\n

\u201cSeptember 11, 2001 has been one of the most memorable moments in my career,\u201d said Folta. \u201cI was in the operations office preparing to open the check-in counter when we watched on TV that an aircraft had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the aircraft in the attacks had departed from IAD. Our inbound flight that morning diverted to Detroit and the outbound flight was unable to depart for several days afterward, leaving many customers stranded,\u201d added Weaver.<\/p>\n

Both Folta and Weaver recall feeling relieved and happy to welcome passengers back to IAD once operations resumed. This event was a major turning point for the industry, leading to the establishment of the TSA in the U.S., tightened security and lasting changes to airport operations.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Team IAD at the gate on July 26, 2026<\/p>\n

ANA over the years at IAD<\/p>\n

Folta and Weaver share that Team IAD has gone through numerous changes, from a downsizing of facilities to outsourcing of staff. Through this, the team continues to work closely with one another, efficiently coordinating passenger service and flight operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team is like family,\u201d said Folta. \u201cEveryone supports one another and we work together to provide the best service for our passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe the team embodies ANA\u2019s motto of \u2018Anshin (trustworthy), Attaka (heartwarming), Akaruku-genki (energetic)\u2019 and are always striving to deliver our very best,\u201d Weaver added.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

ANA B747 at IAD in 1986<\/p>\n

Over the years, ANA\u2019s Washington D.C. to Tokyo route expanded from three weekly flights to daily service.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen many different types of aircraft from the B747 and B777 to the B787 that currently operates the route,\u201d Weaver said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, joining Star Alliance was an important step for ANA,\u201d said Folta. \u201cIt improved our global network, strengthened our reputation and helped increase passenger demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Folta, Weaver and the rest of Team IAD, their experience and strong teamwork continues to shine as they welcome passengers from around the world on their next adventure with ANA.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Team IAD sending off Flight NH101 on July 26, 2026<\/p>\n

Connecting to the future<\/p>\n

Richard Ide, Vice President of Airport Administration, The Americas shared his thoughts on the future of ANA\u2019s international operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhereas the start of international flights 40 years ago was a dream fulfilled, the ongoing expansion of international routes is a reflection of customer demand,\u201d says Ide. \u201cThe world has become tightly integrated through socio-economic ties and family extensions.\u201d<\/p>\n

ANA\u2019s routes to Guam, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. brought the airline to the global market over four decades ago. Today, ANA serves over 40 destinations around the world to Tokyo and beyond, bringing people and cultures together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 1986 international flights were a new adventure. Today and continuing onwards to the future, they are essential transportation for connecting the rapidly changing world and sustaining the expansion of a global economy.\u201d Ide adds.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, ANA hopes to continue connecting new destinations and people, one flight at a time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026 \/ 08 \/ 07 Routes\u30fbAircraft In March 1986, ANA launched international flights between Tokyo and Guam, marking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":70490,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[45427,6366,45426,26060,8,173,52,623,45428,21864,45431,45430,45429],"class_list":["post-70489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tokyo","tag-airjapan","tag-ana","tag-information","tag-japan","tag-news","tag-tokyo","tag-topics","tag-45428","tag-21864","tag-45431","tag-45430","tag-45429"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70489\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}