Japan Post gains green light for international cargo venture

Japan Post has gained official approval for its plan to create an international air cargoventure with strategic partners as part of its growth strategy.  A government panel on the

Japan Post, due for restructuring and privatisation over a 10-year period from October 2007onwards, is putting a strong focus on expanding its international business in view of increasingcompetition in the domestic postal market. It has linked up with All Nippon Airways, Mitsui OSKLines and Nippon Express to create a new Japanese-owned cargo airline, to be named ANA & JPExpress (AJV). ANA is expected to be the majority shareholder with a 51.7% interest and will managethe airline, while Japan Post (33.3%), Nippon Express (10%) and MOL (5%) will use it for expressand freight transportation.

ANA & JP Express is scheduled to launch B767 freighter flights between Japan and China inAugust, probably connecting the main Japanese gateways of Tokyo, Osaka and Chubu with Shanghai,Tianjin and Dalian. Services from Japan to the USA (Chicago) and South Korea are also underconsideration. The airline aims to carry about 30,000 tonnes in 2006, growing to 90,000 tonnes inits first full year (2007) and doubling to 200,000 tonnes by 2009. 

Japan Post president Masaharu Ikuta recently announced that the express venture with TNT will besubstantially delayed from the original launch date of April due to differences over the businessplan for the joint venture.