ANA–NCA deal brings freighters back to Frankfurt
Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) is returning to Frankfurt airport with Boeing B747-8F services today, 4 September 2025, after a 15-year absence. The airline will operate via Anchorage and Amsterdam, as well as offering direct rotations via Anchorage. The addition positions Frankfurt alongside Amsterdam as NCA’s key European hubs.
The expansion comes one month after ANA Holdings completed the full acquisition of NCA, effective 1 August, creating Japan’s largest combination passenger and cargo carrier. The move combines ANA’s passenger and freighter network with NCA’s fleet of eight Boeing B747-8Fs, strengthening connections on Japan–Europe and Japan–US lanes.
"Integrating NCA’s freighter network with ANA’s infrastructure greatly improves our ability to serve customer needs," said ANA HD CEO Koji Shibata. With Tokyo Narita’s runway expansion and the Frankfurt relaunch, ANA expects its enlarged cargo arm to deliver greater resilience, profitability and capacity growth. (ah)