All Nippon Airways (ANA) will mark the beginning of a five-year partnership with The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd by introducing a new Star Wars livery on one of its new B787-9 Dreamliners.
The livery will feature the iconic R2-D2 android, which the airline hopes will help enhance its international presence. Last spring, ANA significantly expanded its international network from Haneda and Narita, and introduced several new services to the US.
Given the beloved reputation of the Star Wars franchise in North America, the partnership represents “a perfect match [for Japan’s largest airline] as it seeks to connect travellers around the world through this project”.
"We’re excited to be involved in this collaboration with ANA, one of the world's leading 5-star airlines,” said Kayleen Walters, vice president, marketing for Lucasfilm Ltd.
“We’re proud of the innovative R2-D2 design, and we look forward to witnessing the first-ever flight of a passenger aircraft featuring a Star Wars character. We’re confident that Star Wars fans around the world will absolutely love this design."
While routes and flights operated by the aforementioned B787-9 have not been determined yet, ANA did confirm that the aircraft will begin international services sometime in autumn this year – just in time for the upcoming, highly anticipated release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18, 2015.
For more information, visit ana.co.jp
Clement Huang
