On 25th November 2019, 13 students from the MBA Program of Vietnam Japan University went on an adventure to explore what it takes to be a 5-Star rated Airline 7 consecutive years – ANA.
Group photo in front of ANA Blue Base
First off, ANA Blue Base
ANA Blue Base is ANA’s newest and most modern Training Complex. All training activities would be conducted in this place. Pilots, Cabin Attendants, Ground Staff, Engineers, everyone will go through rigorous training so that later on, they can together create enjoyable and safe flights for customers. Although ANA Blue Base will officially go into full operation only from June 2020, thanks to the kindness of ANA, we had a special opportunity to do the visit.
Our day in ANA began by the company introduction section. From the informative introduction, we learned about six-decade-journey of ANA, from the humble beginning with two helicopters to the presently largest airline in Japan with a fleet size of 259 aircraft. We were also explained how ANA has managed to consistently improve and deliver Omotenashi under the motto of “Trustworthy, Heartwarming, Energetic!”.
After the presentation, we experienced all the state-of-the-art training facilities within the Blue Base. There are Full-Flight Simulators or pilot training equipment, which emulates the actual cockpit with full functions. The simulators provide various flight environments and situations so that pilots can learn to handle variable scenarios. There are also Engine Maintenance Training Mock-up and Simulator for Emergency Situation. They create a training environment, in which every task and operational activities are virtualized. After observing all the training activities conducted at ANA Blue Base, we personally associated the airline industry with an industry of preparation.
Group photo in ANA Blue Base
Next stop, Haneda Airport
We visited ANA’s back office and its check-in area at one of the most preferred airports in the world. The back office gave us surprises. Many departments share one same simple working space without physical walls separating them. In a close and barrier-less working space, staff who is in charge of Flight Control, Customer Service, Cargo Handling, and so on, worked in such a focused and relentless manner. That atmosphere gave us a thought that nothing can disrupt their dedicated working flow.
Moreover, ANA’s check-in area verified our imagination of how an elite airline would welcome and take care of its customers. Although there are a lot of customers bringing a huge amount of baggage, none of them have to wait long. Also, in every section, there is a senior supervisor who facilitates the operation and supports problem-solving on the spot. We were informed that in the near future, ANA would implement many high-tech innovations to shorten the customer’s waiting time. We are all excited to try it out one day.
Check-in area in the domestic terminal at Haneda Airport
At the end of the visit, we were invited to a reception held by wonderful ANA people – members of ANA Blue Base and ANA’s Office at Haneda Airports. They are the ones, who generously introduced us to the world behind every successful flight, and especially members from ANA’s Hanoi Office, who traveled all the way from Vietnam to Japan to give us a day of absolute fulfilling experience. We shared a lot of stories together. We sang songs and even received cute little presents from ANA. It was, indeed, a special moment to be treasured.
Gift from ANA
After all, how to describe our impression of ANA?
If we set our imagination free a little bit, then ANA is like our beloved Doraemon, who creates miracles with futuristic inventions, making our lives so much easier and convenient. However, cool gadgets and special abilities are not the only things people remember about Doraemon, because first and foremost, Doraemon is a tender-hearted and caring friend who always walks beside and makes the journey so delightful and memorable.
* Written by MBA students
