ANA is heading to Vienna in February

Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) is heading to Vienna next year with the launch of a new daily non-stop service between the Austrian capital and its hub at Tokyo Haneda International Airport starting February 17 next year.

Flights will be operated by one of the airline’s newest aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which ANA configures in two different layouts. Fortunately for business class passengers on this route, the Vienna service will be operated by its lower-capacity 215-seat variant, which has more business class seats (48 in total) than the higher-capacity model.

Split across two cabins, the fully flat seats are laid out in a staggered 1-2-1 formation, meaning all passengers can access the aisles without needing to climb over their neighbours.

This variant of the 787-9 also features a premium economy cabin with 21 seats along with 146 seats in economy.

“Vienna is known as the historical and geographical gateway to Central and Eastern Europe, and we look forward to strengthening ties between Japan and this dynamic region by offering flights that are ideal for business travelers and tourists,” said Seiichi Takahashi, senior vice president of ANA.

These are morning flights in both directions, with arrival in both Tokyo and Vienna scheduled for between 6.00am and 7.00am – useful times to get in for business travellers.

The move follows joint-venture partner Austrian Airlines’ recent return to Tokyo earlier this year, when it revived its service to Tokyo’s Narita Airport less than two years after axing it due to lack of profitability and economic downturn.

The route notably features Austrian Airlines’ newly implemented premium economy product, which has been retrofitted onto its Boeing 777 and 767 long-haul aircraft.

Vienna has recently become a popular destination for airlines in Asia, with Taiwanese carrier EVA Air, Thai Airways and Hainan Airlines all launching services to the Austrian capital in the past 12 months.

Vienna will be ANA’s eighth non-stop service to Europe and the seventh city on the continent served by the Japanese carrier.