All Nippon Airways has launched flights between Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and Brussels Airport, the Japanese airline’s sixth European route and the first direct connection between the two countries in almost 15 years.

FlyUs has been selected as ANA Cargo’s GSA in Brussels, and a five-person team will be dedicated to handling business for the airline.

According to ANA Cargo, the flight, which is operated by a Boeing 787-8 and offers approximately seven pallets of capacity, is primarily targeted at pharma traffic.

“Time- and temperature-sensitive products form a key part of all ANA’s long-haul widebody routes and through a long-standing master lease agreement with Envirotainer the airline has an excellent reputation for handling this kind of traffic,” said Yutaka Terao, director of global marketing and sales/alliance at ANA Cargo. “We are confident FlyUs can add to our entire product range moving from Benelux on the Brussels-Narita route.”

The first flight was fully booked and carried Belgian chocolate and general cargo on top on pharma shipments, according to the carrier.

Beyond Tokyo, ANA Cargo is expecting to receive shipments destined for Nagoya and Osaka, as well as other air and road feeder destinations throughout the domestic network.

Terao also said that he was anticipating traffic for another 23 potential destinations in China and Southeast Asia, and that another important destination would be Sydney, to which ANA will launch flights in December 2015.