All Nippon Airways aircraft are seen lined up at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- ANA Holdings Inc. said Friday it expects a net loss of 100 billion yen ($880 million) for the year through March, rather than an earlier projected net profit of 3.5 billion yen, as a recovery in air travel demand hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic has been delayed.

       The parent of All Nippon Airways Co. reported a record net loss of 404.62 billion yen in fiscal 2020 as the major Japanese airline struggled to cope with evaporating travel demand.

       ANA expects an operating loss of 125 billion yen, instead of an operating profit of 28 billion yen, with sales projected to rise 45.5 percent to 1.06 trillion yen.

       "A full-fledged recovery has been delayed to a great extent," ANA President and CEO Shinya Katanozaka told a press briefing.

       In the six months to September, ANA's net loss shrank to 98.80 billion yen from 188.48 billion yen a year earlier. Its operating loss came to 116.01 billion yen, compared with a net loss of 280.95 billion yen, as sales rose 47.7 percent to 431.13 billion yen.

       The pace of recovery is faster for domestic flights as cross-border travel restrictions remain.

       Demand for domestic air travel was affected by a COVID-19 state of emergency that was in place for Tokyo, Osaka and other areas during the otherwise busy summer holiday season.

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