Tuesday, August 26, 2014

ANA to operate charter to Ulan Baatar.

All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA) will operate a one-time charter flight from Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA) to Ulan Baatar/Chinggis Khaan (ULN/ZMUB) and back using their Boeing 737-700ER. The outbound flight will operate on August 28th, and the return leg will be operated on August 31st. It is being chartered by ANA Holdings' travel agency ANA Sales as part of a four-day Mongolia package tour, and seats are not being offered otherwise.
Boeing 737-781 JA16AN taxies at Fukuoka. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The airline's sole 38-seat all-business 737-781/ER JA13AN will be assigned for the service. Along with the other 737-700ER, JA10AN, which is configured with 24 business and 20 economy class seats, the aircraft normally plies the daily Narita – Mumbai/Chhatrapati Shivaji (BOM/VABB) service.

Flight Schedule:
Narita – Ulan Baatar charter with 737-700ER.
NH1971 NRT 1215 – 1630 ULN 73W Aug/28
NH1972 ULN 1010 – 1630 NRT 73W Aug/31

ANA has been looking into the Mongolian market for some time, with a potential scheduled service linking the two countries. Government-owned MIAT Mongolian Airlines (OM/MGL) is currently the sole carrier in the market with four-times-weekly service from the capital to Narita and twice weekly to Osaka/Kansai (KIX/RJBB), both flown by 737-800s. In May 2011, ANA entered into a strategic partnership with local private carrier Eznis Airways (ZY/EZA) including cooperation over management and operations, however, the carrier suspended operations in May 2014.

Launched in January 2006 with an order conversion for two airplanes from ANA, the 737-700ER is essentially the commercial version of the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), with the 737-700 fuselage joined by wings and landing gear of the 737-800, along with a strengthened body and auxiliary fuel tanks. It flies up to 10,200 kilometers (6,340 miles), or 3,970 kilometers (2,470 miles) farther than a normal 737-700. The first was delivered in February 2007, and ANA remains the only customer for the variant so far.

Reference: All Nippon Airways, July 1st. (in Japanese)

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