ANA holdings to fully acquire parent of two midsize airlines

ANA Holdings announced on Thursday its plan to fully acquire RegionalPlus Wings, the parent company of midsize airlines Airdo and Solaseed Air. The acquisition will be completed through a stock swap in April. ANA already holds an equity stake of over 15% in RegionalPlus Wings. The Japanese airline group aims to boost profitability by streamlining flight operations and consolidating procurement efforts.

Airdo, based in Sapporo, primarily serves routes connecting the Sapporo prefecture. Solaseed Air, headquartered in Miyazaki, focuses on services in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions. Both airlines currently code-share with All Nippon Airways, a subsidiary of ANA Holdings.

The terms of the stock swap between ANA Holdings and RegionalPlus Wings will be determined through consultations between the two parties. Despite the acquisition, ANA Holdings plans to retain the Airdo and Solaseed Air brand names for the short term, though it is considering the possibility of operating the two airlines under the ANA brand in the medium term.

Flight schedules and frequencies are expected to be adjusted as early as the summer of 2028. Koji Shibata, president and CEO of ANA Holdings, stated, "We will effectively combine each company's business resources and operational strengths to enhance the sustainability of regional air networks."

On Thursday, ANA Holdings also released its consolidated earnings results for the period from April to September. The company reported a 17.5% increase in sales compared to the same period the previous year, reaching a record ¥1.39 trillion ($8.83 billion). However, net profit declined by 11.8% to ¥67 billion, partly due to higher fuel costs resulting from increased tensions in the Middle East.