ANA and Brussels Airport mark 10 years of direct Brussels–Tokyo flights

Airline to increase frequency to three weekly flights in 2026

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Brussels Airport have celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Brussels–Tokyo Narita route (NH232), a vital air link launched in October 2015 that has carried over 550,000 passengers in the past decade.

The milestone was marked with a ceremony at Brussels Airport, attended by the Japanese Ambassador to Belgium, Mr Masahiro Mikami, ANA executives, and Brussels Airport representatives, including Sylvie Van den Eynde, Chief Passenger Aviation Officer, who represented CEO Arnaud Feist.

Hiroyuki Miyagawa, Executive Vice President EMEA at ANA, said:

“Today, we celebrate an important milestone that reflects the enduring relationship between Belgium and Japan. We sincerely thank our passengers for their continued trust and loyalty.”

Sylvie Van den Eynde praised ANA’s “commitment and resilience” and highlighted the airline’s key role in strengthening Belgium’s connectivity with Asia.

Despite global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, ANA maintained service continuity, converting flights to cargo operations in 2020 to transport medical supplies and vaccines, and later supporting Belgian Olympic and Paralympic teams.

Currently operating two weekly flights, ANA will increase frequency to three weekly services from March 2026, underscoring its long-term commitment to the Belgian and European markets.

The Brussels–Tokyo route remains the only direct connection

between Belgium and Japan, serving as an enduring bridge for tourism, business, and cultural exchange between the two nations.

At the end of the ceremony, Japanese violinist Ms Chikako Hosoda, who studied at the Conservatory of Liege, played the ANA theme song “Another Sky”, which is based on the famous work “Jupiter” by the British composer Gustav Holst, from his orchestral suite The Planets (1914–1916).

Text, pictures and video © André Orban