Japan’s ANA Holdings orders three Airbus A380 super jumbos

ANA Holdings said on Friday it will buy three Airbus A380 aircraft worth a combined $1.3 billion, reviving the European aircraft builder’s long-held ambition to introduce its superjumbo to Japan.

ANA, Japan’s biggest carrier, said in a press release that it will take delivery of the first A380 in 2018. The planes will carry tourists between Tokyo and Hawaii and are part of a strategy to expand seat capacity on international routes by half over the next five years, the airline said.

The order comes after ANA won approval from Airbus for a restructuring plan for failed budget carrier Skymark Airlines Inc. Airbus is Skymark’s second-biggest creditor.