All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA), Japan’s second-largest carrier, will set up an international cargo venture specialising in delivery to Asian countries, with two Japanese forwarders to takeadvantage of rising trade.

The new, as yet un-named company to be established in April, will provide small-lot, express-delivery services, the three companies said in a joint statement.

ANA will take a 34 per cent stake in the venture, while Nippon Express Co. and Kintetsu World Express Inc. will each own 28 per cent. The remaining 10 per cent will be held by other forwarders.

The companies cited “the increasing need for high-quality, integrated, strategic distribution services” as the reason for establishing the JV, adding that Asia in particular has a growing demand for “reliable and responsive logistics services to support the supply chains of businesses with rapidly expanding production bases.”

Tokyo-based ANA, which lags behind rival Japan Airlines Corp. in international cargo, plans to more than double its freight fleet to 10 aircraft from four by the end of March 2010.

Already the nation’s biggest domestic handler of air cargo, ANA is adding planes and outsourcing some operations to expand capacity.

ANA owns three B767Fs and one B777-300ERF and wet-leases two B767Fs from ABX Air. It is also the launch customer for the B767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter programme, with the first of three slated for delivery from January and two more to arrive next year.

The carrier plans to open a new cargo hub at Naha in Okinawa in 2010 and has said it will move 420,000 tons annually through the airport.

The new venture will compete with established global express players, DHL Worldwide Express, FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc.