In what ANA President and CEO Mineo Yamamoto described as a "great day for ANA and Star Alliance and the dawn of a new age" for air travel in Japan, 10 of the 11 Star Alliance airlines serving Tokyo Narita begin operating today from co-located facilities in the airport's Terminal 1 South Wing. Star members that moved overnight into the newly rebuilt terminal are ANA, Air Canada, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines. Air New Zealand, which has a codesharing relationship with Japan Airlines, remains in Terminal 2.

Bringing the carriers under one roof will result in international-to-international connecting times being reduced more than 50% from 110 min. to 45 min. and create "huge opportunities" to develop domestic connections with ANA, according to Star CEO Jaan Albrecht. In total, the 10 airlines offer more than 794 weekly flights to 30 destinations in 15 countries from Narita.

Among the many firsts in the spacious and attractive South Wing are common "zone check-in" areas for all carriers save SIA, with check-in areas organized by class of travel across the airlines. The hall features a record 126 common-use self-service check-in kiosks and common-use check-in desks. ARINC is the technology vendor for both.

Beginning today, travelers on ANA, United, Air Canada and Austrian can use the kiosks, which are equipped with passport readers. By year end, Star expects passengers on any of the 10 member carriers to be able to check in via the kiosks. The new terminal also offers curbside check-in, a first for Japan, and the country's first baggage reconnecting facility for passengers connecting from an international to a domestic flight.

Additional and upgraded premium lounges are part of the package, as is a new pier with eight attached airbridges. ANA has four lounges with shower facilities, which it claims is a first for a Japanese carrier. Its domestic arrivals lounge also is equipped with showers.

This is the third and largest "Move Under One Roof" exercise for Star. Last year it brought carriers at Paris Charles de Gaulle T1 together (ATWOnline, March 9, 2005) and Star members at Centrair near Nagoya also are co-located.