Japan's ANA to order 70 new aircraft from Airbus

ANA Holdings Inc., Japan's largest airline group by passenger traffic, said Thursday it would buy 70 new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, which totaled 1,727 billion yen (about 16.5 billion U.S. dollars), the biggest purchase in its history.

The order contains 40 Boeing and 30 Airbus planes, and aircraft will be delivered to ANA between fiscal 2016 and 2027, which ends in March 2028.

President Shinichiro Ito of the Tokyo-based company said at a press conference here the day, "ANA aims to become the world's leading airline company by improving passenger comfort and cutting fuel costs with the new fleet."

The purchases, approved by the board Thursday, will help increase the carrier's fleet to 250 planes.

According to ANA, the purchases were due in part to an expected increase in travel demand for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

"These new aircraft will give us maximum flexibility, improve fuel efficiency and allow us to meet growth in demand, both internationally and in our domestic market," Ito said.