ANA Mulls Raising Stake in Airdo, Solaseed Air

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)--ANA Holdings Inc., the parent of Japanese airline All Nippon Airways, is considering raising its stake in the holding company of midsize airlines Airdo and Solaseed Air, people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

ANA, which currently owns just over 15 pct of the holding company, RegionalPlus Wings Corp., apparently aims to help strengthen the finances of Airdo and Solaseed Air as Japanese airlines struggle with weak domestic operations because of a decrease in business customers and rising fuel costs.

Airdo operates mainly in Hokkaido, northern Japan, while Solaseed Air focuses on the Kyushu and Okinawa southern regions. Both airlines offer codeshare flights with All Nippon Airways.

In May, the transport ministry lifted regulations that had limited a major airline's stake in a midsize airline to 20 pct.

ANA said in a statement on Thursday that it is always considering various options related to its partnerships, including additional investments.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]