All Nippon Airways (ANA) has spent $16 billion on a mix of 40 planes from Boeing and 30 single-aisle A320 and A321 Neo aircraft from Airbus. The Japanese company said the expansion of its fleet is partly due to the expected increase in passenger numbers when Tokyo hosts the Olympic Games in 2020. The aircraft will be delivered between 2016 and 2027 and will boost the size of the airline’s fleet to 250 aircraft.

ANA president Shinichiro Ito said: “The aircraft we have selected will enable us to modernise and expand our fleet further, as we seek to become one of the world’s leading airline groups. These new aircraft will give us maximum flexibility and improved fuel efficiency; they will allow us to meet the growth in demand, both internationally and in our domestic Japanese market.”

The order includes 14 of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which has suffered from battery problems and was grounded by regulators for several months last year. The aircraft will be fitted with Trent 100 engines supplied by Derby-based Rolls-Royce. Trent 1000s have now completed over 220,000 in-service flying hours, with an ‘engine-reliability performance’ of better than 99.9% — the best-ever reliability figures for a wide-body engine.

Hiroyuki Ito, senior executive vice-president at ANA, said: “We are pleased to once again select the Trent 1000 to power this extension of our 787 Dreamliner fleet. It has served us very well through our entry into service, and we have received excellent customer support from Rolls-Royce.”

Dominic Horwood at Rolls-Royce, said: “We are proud that ANA — the launch customer for the 787 Dreamliner — has continued to demonstrate its confidence in the performance and economics of the Trent 1000.” The contract is worth $1.1 billion and adds to the company’s record £71.6 billion order book.