First Look at ANA’s New Pokémon Boeing 787 Ahead of Its First Passenger Flight

The worlds of aviation and cartoons collided today at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) when ANA revealed its newest Pokémon livery.

The media event at a live maintenance hangar showcased the freshly painted Boeing 787-8, both inside and out, before passengers get to fly it for the first time.

Here’s everything I got to see today and what’s in store for ANA’s Pokémon celebrations.

ANA’s New Eye-Catching Pokémon Livery

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pokémon, Japanese airline ANA is repainting 3 of its planes. After first reporting on it back in May, the first special plane — Pokémon Jet Red — is about to take to the skies.

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Pokémon Jet Red.

Pikachu is the rightful star of the show, featured in several spots on the plane, including the engines.

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Reunited with my 10-year-old self.

The inside of the plane is more understated than I’d imagined, especially when compared to the show-stopping exterior. But that might have more to do with the fact that the interior of this Boeing 787 registered JA819A is now 13 years old.

The brightly colored Pokémon-themed headrests are the main decoration I noticed, while the commemorative napkins and paper cups are a nice touch.

Mini mascots may also sneak their way onto some of the plane’s flights.

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Too cute.

I think the coolest feature for any Pokémon fan when inside the plane is being able to see the Pokéball on the inside of the engine. You’ll have to be seated in front of the wing to see it.

Media from around the world were invited to the event alongside a lucky selection of budding Pokémon fans who won the chance to be among the first people in the world to see the plane.

The official unveiling ceremony was also attended by Keiji Omae, executive vice president of All Nippon Airways, and Takahito Utsunomiya, chief operating officer of The Pokémon Company, both of whom spoke about the significance of the collaboration. The 2 Japanese companies have a long-standing partnership spanning almost 2 decades, when the original Pokémon liveries debuted on an ANA Boeing 747 and Boeing 767.

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Utsunomiya and Omae taking the stage.

Pokémon Jet Red will operate only domestic flights, with its first scheduled flight from Haneda to Fukuoka (FUK) departing at 8 a.m. on July 29.

Pokémon Jet Green will be the only special livery aircraft that will fly internationally, meaning it could be seen at an airport near you in the U.S. The Boeing 787-9 should enter into service with its shiny new paint job sometime this fall.

Pokémon Go Collaboration Runs Until August 2027

ANA is extending its Pokémon celebrations to a select few airports around Japan.

Even passengers who aren’t flying any of the special planes can still get in on the Poké-fun. In addition to the 3 new liveries, limited-time PokéStops and PokéGyms will appear at airports across Japan. The first airports where these themed events will take place are the regional airports of Akita (AXT), Hakodate (HKD), Sapporo (CTS), and Sendai (SDJ), as well as at Terminals 2 and 3 at Haneda and at Terminal 1 at Tokyo Narita (NRT).

The Pokémon Go collaboration will run through August 31, 2027, and will coincide with the launch of the second and third new liveries: Pokémon Jet Green and Pokémon Jet Blue.

Final Thoughts

If you’re planning a trip to Japan anytime soon, it’s worth keeping an eye out for ANA’s new Pokémon-themed planes. Even if you’re not a Pokémon fan, it’ll be hard not to be impressed if you catch a glimpse — or better still, get to fly it!

With more new liveries in the pipeline, including one that could make its way to the U.S., there’s much more Pokémon fun in store.