WA’s struggling tourism sector could get a $300 million boost with the State Government set to secure a deal with a major Japanese airline for direct flights between Perth and Tokyo.

While the Government remains tight-lipped about the deal, an industry source in Tokyo has confirmed that All Nippon Airways is expected to announce within weeks that it will start direct flights between Perth and Tokyo next year. It is estimated the daily service, understood to be operated by Boeing 787-9 planes, could bring an additional 70,000 Japanese visitors to WA every year.

The West Australian understands from the source that the airline may launch the flights as early as April, although no flights are yet available for booking.

Neither WA Tourism Minister Paul Papalia nor Perth Airport chief executive Kevin Brown would comment because the deal was at a sensitive stage.

It is understood from the Tokyo source, however, that ANA’s management has approved the deal.

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The direct service is a big win for the Government, which has made tourism a high priority.

Mr Papalia, Premier Mark McGowan and Mr Brown have all visited Tokyo to lobby for the service. They have been assisted in Tokyo by Australia’s ambassador, former WA premier Richard Court.

The airline’s former president and chief executive Osamu Shinobe expressed interest in Perth as a destination three years ago.

Mr Shinobe told media at a Star Alliance conference in Chicago in November 2015 that the airline wanted to fly to other Australian destinations after the relaunch of a Sydney service that had been axed in 1999.

At the time he said that a “surge in economic activity between Australia and Japan” had tipped the scale in favour of Australia as a destination and Perth was next on the airline’s radar.

Incentives are believed to have been offered to ANA — which is typical to attract an airline to a new route — including advertising support through Tourism WA.

As well as inbound Japanese tourists, there has been a high level of interest from West Australians in the service, which will connect to 50 domestic destinations in Japan.

Qantas withdrew from the Tokyo-Perth route in 2011 because the airline was using the Boeing 767 and it was at the limit of its economic range.

ANA, which was formed in 1953, is Japan’s biggest airline with a fleet of 232 aircraft and 81 on order.