Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) will employ its B777 freighter (777F) on cargo flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) to accommodate customers needs across its network.

The LAX-NRT operation announced today is a temporary additional flight, an ANA spokesperson told Payload Asia. It is scheduled to start operating on 23 April.

The carrier expects to carry automobile parts from Japan and perishables from North America, which are driving the demand for cargo transport with further demand in Southeast Asia.

ANA said the schedule for its 777s remains unaffected. It currently has two B777Fs and nine 767Fs. Aside from regular maintenances, the 11 freighters are all fully in use, ANA noted. Other routes with the 777F include Shanghai, Chicago, Frankfurt and Bangkok.

Also read: ANA Cargo introduces CSafe active containers

The airline noted the increased capacity (100 tonnes) and aircraft size of the 777F over the 767F makes it appropriate for the transportation of semiconductors, engines and other large goods.

“A number of factors have led to increased demand for cargo flights connecting Japan and North America,” said Toshiaki Toyama, executive vice president of ANA and President of ANA Cargo Inc.

“We are proud to have a fleet of capable aircraft that is able to meet the demand and support global supply chains in operation at this critical time,” he added.

For March, ANA plans to operate a month high of 2,349 cargo flights. Revenue from its international freighter business hit a record 101.6 billion yen, up 30 percent from FY 2019, whilst domestic cargo revenue was down 22 percent, based on its Q3 results.