TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Brazil’s TAM Airlines (JJ) opened its Tokyo office on April 27. Takahide Onoda of the airline’s General Sales Agent (GSA) for Japan has taken up the position as Area Representative Japan under the supervision of Giuliano Ponzio, Account Manager of Eastern Europe and Asia at TAM Airlines. In Asia, it has general sales agents (GSA) in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand. Tokyo is the first branch staffed by TAM’s own employee. The airline is set to join Star Alliance on May 13. TAM Tokyo aims to boost sales in the Japan market, focusing on the start of code-sharing deal with All Nippon Airways (ANA).

Speaking at a reception held on April 27, Paulo Cezar Castello Branco, TAM Vice-President Commercial & Planning, said, “Asia is the world’s most commercially important region for the airline industry.” “We consider Japan as the best-chosen market to compete in the air transport business.” He further explained that, in terms of BSP (bank settlement plan) billings, passenger traffic between Asia and South America creates a turnover of as much as 400 million US dollars (approximately 37.53 billion yen). By opening its own branch in Tokyo, Branco said, TAM Airlines endeavors to further boost traffic demand.

Also, Ponzio told Travel Vision that since the Bank Settlement Plan (BSP) started in Japan also for Brazilian domestic tickets this past January, its BSP billings amount to a half million US dollars (about 47 million yen) in three months alone, adding that it is an extremely promising start for TAM Airlines. Commenting on the code-sharing with ANA, he said that he is hopeful to realize it by the end of September. Capitalizing on the code-sharing, the airline aims to focus on three traffic segments between Japan and South America, which are business travel, leisure travel and South American expats. The operating income target set for the first year is 2.5 million US dollars (approximately 235 million yen). TAM Airlines strives to increase its yearly operating income by 20 percent year-by-year, concluded Ponzio.

Source: Travel Vision

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