ANA, Japan’s largest airline, today announced that two more of its planes will be decorated withStar Warscharacters as part of an agreement with The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. BB-8, a brand new character fromStar Wars: The Force Awakensscheduled for theatrical release in December 2015, will be displayed on the livery of theBB-8ANA Jet, a Boeing 777-300ER. ANA also announced theStar WarsANA Jet, which will showcase both BB-8 and R2-D2 on the outside of a Boeing 767-300. TheseStar Warsthemed planes will join the previously announced R2-D2 ANA Jet, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Through this combination of characters, ANA hopes to welcome more passengers of all ages from around the world.
ANA launched theStar WarsProject in April 2015 after signing a five year promotion license contract for theStar Warsbrand with The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. As part of the agreement, the ANAStar Warsplanes' will also display in-flight decorations, such as headrest covers, paper napkins and cups featuringStar Warscharacters - more details will be announced at a later date. The partnership also means ANA will be the only airline in the world to offer all six of the currently releasedStar Warsfilms as part of its extensive in-flight entertainment options on international routes. This will be the first time that any of theStar Warsmovies have been included as part of an in-flight entertainment system. The movies will be shown from shown from July 06, 2025 to June 17, 2025.
The threeStar WarsJets will fly international and domestic routes. On October 18, theR2-D2ANA Jet is scheduled to go into service on international routes, initially as flight NH116 between Tokyo and Vancouver, and then fly between Japan and other cities in ANA’s robust international network including the US (Seattle and San Jose), Europe (Munich, Paris and Brussels), Australia (Sydney), China (Beijing), and Indonesia (Jakarta). Routes and flights detailed on the above site are provisional and subject to change without notification.
In November, the Star Wars™ ANA Jet will fly domestic Japanese routes, and then in March 2016 the BB-8™ ANA Jet is scheduled to start serving international routes principally between Japan and North America (the exact routes have yet to be announced). The routes are tentatively set as New York, Chicago and Houston, but this is subject to change. Fans will be able to see the planes' schedules atANA-SW.com. Here’s whatOsamu Shinobe, President and CEO of ANA, had to say in a statement.
“We’re thrilled to unveil the designs of our newStar Warsthemed planes, and I’m sure fans across the world will love the look. At ANA we pride ourselves on offering the best possible flight experience, from the ANAStar WarsProject and our extensive in-flight entertainment options, to our peerless, award-winning in-flight service, dining options created by Michelin-starred chefs and wines chosen by our discerning sommeliers. We look forward to providing our passengers with an engaging in-flight experience as they travel our planet.”
ANA is also holding a Fan Appreciation Flight on October 17, where travellers must dress up inStar Warsto get a sneak preview of these planes. Visit ANA-SW.com for more details on how to win tickets. Here’s whatKathleen Kennedy, president of LucasFilm and producer ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens, had this to say in her statement about theseStar Warsplanes.
“We at Lucasfilm are absolutely delighted to have found in Japan such a wonderful partner in ANA and to able to provide you with a wonderful opportunity like this one. I, too, certainly look forward to flying aboard one of ANA’sStar Warsjets on my next trip to Japan.”
For more information on ANA’sStar WarsProject, visit:ANA-SW.com. Follow the ANAStar WarsProject on our social media channels,Facebook.com/FlyWorld.ANA. Check out new photos and videos of all theseStar Warsjets below.
