France Presents Shinya Katanozaka with Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur

France has awarded Mr. Shinya Katanozaka, President and CEO of ANA Holdings, with the prestigious Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur.

The order of merit, the highest in France, was presented to him by Philippe Setton, the French Ambassador to Japan, in recognition of Katanozaka's legacy of strengthening the economic and cultural relations between Japan and France.

It also reflects the ANA Group's commitment to building stronger ties between the two countries through tourism, trade, and commerce.

"It is a tremendous honor to be named a Chevalier de la Legion of Honor, acknowledging the work to strengthen ties between France and Japan," said Shinya Katanozaka. "I am proud of the work that we have done over the past three decades to build a strong relationship with French passengers, businesses and the general public. I have always held a great affinity for the people and culture of France, and I look forward to building new bridges and deepening relationships between our two countries."

ANA has had a close connection to France for more than three decades. The Tokyo-Paris route was launched on 4 October 1990, and in the following year, ANA became the first Japanese airline to utilize the Airbus A320 aircraft.

ANA added a custom set of three Airbus A380, assembled in Toulouse, to its fleet in 2019, and recently received approval by Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) to introduce Mixed Fleet Flying (MFF) for its A380 and A320 family aircraft.

In addition to building strong business ties, the ANA Group has worked to foster cultural understanding between Japan and France. In November 2015, ANA Strategic Research Institute Co., Ltd., established a cooperative relationship with the European Center for Japanese Studies in Alsace (CEEJA), contributing to the strengthening of bilateral relations by organizing events in both France and Japan.

Furthermore, ANA was a lead sponsor of the 2018 Japonism cultural expo, organizing Kabuki performances and providing a set number of air tickets.

The prestigious Legion d'Honneur was first created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize outstanding achievements in the fields of culture, science, industry, commerce, and creative activities.

See also: France Bestows Peter Borer of HSH with Legion of Honour.

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