ANA HOLDINGS, ORIX Corporation and Hirata Gakuen Partner to conduct Urban Air Mobility Trials in Osaka

●The three companies will work with the local government to study potential takeoff and landing locations in the center of Osaka
●Tests will measure noise and other factors at heliport on top of an Osaka skyscraper ^*1

TOKYO, November 11, 2021 – ANA HOLDINGS INC. (hereinafter "ANAHD"), ORIX Corporation (hereinafter "ORIX"), and Hirata Gakuen will partner to conduct a series of helicopter trials designed to advance Urban Air Mobility (UAM) in Osaka, Japan. Set to take place in early November, the tests will seek to determine the ideal take-off and landing areas in the city and will be held in collaboration with the Osaka Prefectural Government as part of the city’s plan to create of a new battery-related energy industry in Osaka.

With its experience in air travel and logistics, ANAHD will lead the coordination efforts to ensure that all participants and stakeholders are aligned. ORIX will secure the selected take-off and landing areas while also providing ground transportation support and Hirata Gakuen will be in charge of helicopter operation and supply the off-site take-off and landing fields for the vehicles.

During the trials Airbus EC135 helicopters will take off and land at ground helipads located near the airport terminal of Kansai International Airport and Kobe Airport. In addition, the helicopters will take off and land on the rooftop of ORIX Honmachi Building*1. Sensory equipment will be on hand to accurately measure the noise that these flights generate. To gain a comprehensive perspective of the noise impact of regular flights within the city, sensors will track noise levels on the rooftop of the building, inside the building, on the ground, under the designated flight path and in other surrounding areas. The noise data will then be compared and verified with the sound data provided by UAM manufacturers. The tests will also track travel time to help logistics planners create accurate schedules and flight paths. Data gathered from the trials will also help determine optimal locations for UAM charging stations.

Several other prominent organizations in Japan will also participate in the trials, including the Aviation Environment Research Center of the Organization for Airport Promotion and Environmental Improvement, The Kansai Electric Power Company, SkyDrive Inc., Okayama Air Service Co., Ltd., Kansai Airports and　Kansai Airports Kobe.

*1: The heliport selected for the trials has been approved by the West Japan Civil Aviation Bureau as of September 28, 2021.

Contact: ANA Corporate Communications, TEL +81-3-6735-1111, publicrelations@ana.co.jp

Contact: ORIX Corporation Corporate Communications Department, TEL +81-3-3435-3167

Contact: Hirata Gakuen, TEL +81-78-304-5725

About ANA HOLDINGS
Founded in 1952 with just two helicopters, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has grown to become the largest airline in Japan. ANA HOLDINGS Inc. (ANA HD) was established in 2013 as the largest airline group holding company in Japan, comprising 71 companies including ANA and Peach Aviation, the leading LCC in Japan.

ANA is a launch customer and the largest operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, making ANA HD the biggest Dreamliner owner in the world. A member of Star Alliance since 1999, ANA has joint venture agreements with United Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines – giving it a truly global presence.

The airline’s legacy of superior service has helped it earn SKYTRAX’s respected 5-Star rating every year since 2013, with ANA being the only Japanese airline to win this prestigious designation for nine consecutive years. ANA also has been recognized by Air Transport World as “Airline of the Year” three times (2007, 2013 and 2018); it is one of only a select few airlines to win this prominent award multiple times.

ANA is the only company in the aviation industry to receive the Gold Class distinction from the 2021 S&P Global Sustainability Awards and ANA HD has been selected as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index list for the fourth consecutive year and the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index list for the fifth consecutive year.

ANA HD aims to realize zero-emission urban air transportation using electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, also known as UAM. As a first step, ANA HD aims to realize operations in the Kansai region, starting with the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Exposition. Utilizing the knowledge of safe and secure aircraft operation, ANA HD will create a new air travel experience by connecting "intra-city ports" and "airport ports" in urban areas and providing time value by reducing travel time more comfortably and significantly than ground transportation. In order to realize this project, ANA HD will need to improve the operating environment, such as ground infrastructure and legal systems, which will require collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as active collaboration with various stakeholders.

For more information, please refer to the following link:
https://www.ana.co.jp/group/en/

About ORIX
ORIX Corporation (ORIX) is a financial services group which provides innovative products and services to its customers by constantly pursuing new businesses.

In the aviation-related business, ORIX entered the aircraft finance business in 1978. It currently owns and manages approximately 200 aircrafts and provides operating leases to more than 50 airlines in more than 30 countries around the world. Also, ORIX has been operating Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport since 2016 as concessionaire, and Kobe Airport since 2018. Since 2017, ORIX Rentec Corporation has been selling and renting drones. In 2019, ORIX invested in a drone-related fund, and is working to promote next-generation air mobility-related businesses, including drones.

For more details, please visit our website:
https://www.orix.co.jp/grp/en/

About Hirata Gakuen
Hirata Gakuen operates Osaka College of Aviation, Kinki College of Computer and Electronics College, and the Aviation Operation Division, and is striving to produce human resources based on the educational policy of "protecting and stimulating the character of independence in students and contributing to society by fostering human resources who can produce results in a short term”. Hirata Gakuen is a training facility for aviation personnel (instrument flight certification, airplane second class aircraft operation mechanic license) designated by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, and many of Hirata Gakuen’s graduates are active in the aviation industry. In addition, the Aviation Operation Division is contributing to the establishment of a regional medical coverage through the operation of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) helicopters. In the field of UAM, Hirata Gakuen will continue to work to contribute to global environmental issues.