2 Of 3: ANA Unveils 2nd Pokémon-Themed Aircraft Of 2026 With Inaugural Flight To Honolulu

Published Sep 18, 2026, 6:19 PM EDT Paul has had a career of 25+ years focused on the international technology sector, which has taken him to over 100 countries. Along the way, he developed a deep love for aviation, with a travel bucket list measured by aircraft types flown rather than destinations reached. Now he brings that avgeek passion, along with the journalism experience he accumulated early in his career, to write insightful pieces for Simple Flying. All Nippon Airways (ANA) has put the second aircraft in its new three-jet Pokémon fleet into service. Following a morning unveiling event at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), the new Green Pokémon Jet departed for a seven-hour overnight flight to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). The specially painted 787-9 Dreamliner, registered JA923A and originally delivered to ANA in 2019, follows the Red Pokémon Jet that entered domestic service in July, and will itself be followed by a Blue Pokémon Jet later this winter. The trio celebrates both the 30th anniversary of Pokémon and 40 years of ANA international flights, while reviving a relationship between the Japanese airline and Pokémon that began with the world's first Pokémon Jet in 1998. ANA's Green Pokémon Jet Takes Off For Honolulu Credit: Simple Flying The Green Pokémon Jet made its commercial debut as NH186 from Tokyo Haneda to Honolulu. According to Flightradar24, the flight left its stand at 9:58 PM carrying 246 passengers plus seven infants, with ANA employees and the Bulbasaur character seeing JA923A off. It arrived in Hawaii at 10:35 AM local time after crossing the International Date Line, covering a direct distance of approximately 3,848 miles (6,192 km) in just over seven hours. The livery centers on Grass-type Pokémon, with Pikachu joined by first-partner Pokémon from multiple generations. Among those appearing on both sides of the aircraft are Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Treecko, Turtwig, Snivy, Chespin, Rowlet, Grookey and Sprigatito, along with Browt from the forthcoming Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves. ANA recounted the overarching idea as experiencing the excitement and fun of beginning a journey with Pokémon, mirroring how players choose their first partner at the start of the games. "Nearly three decades after its first Pokémon Jet took to the skies, ANA is again building an entire themed fleet rather than settling for a single special-livery aircraft, spanning both its domestic and international networks." Aircraft Type Registration Theme Service Entry Main Operation Red Pokémon Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner JA819A Fire-type Pokémon July 29 Domestic Green Pokémon Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner JA923A Grass-type Pokémon September 18 International Blue Pokémon Boeing 737-800 JA56AN Water-type Pokémon Winter 2026 Domestic Green is the second of three aircraft. The Red Pokémon Jet, a 787-8 registered JA819A and decorated with Fire-type Pokémon, began domestic flying on July 29. The Green 787-9 is dedicated primarily to international services, while the Blue Pokémon Jet, a 737-800 registered JA56AN featuring Water-type Pokémon, is scheduled to join ANA's domestic network this winter. That makes the new series a deliberate homage to the original Pokémon Red, Green and Blue era rather than three unrelated liveries. Where The Green Pokémon Jet Will Fly & What Passengers Get Onboard Credit: Pexels ANA has identified 15 principal international routes for the Green aircraft through March 27, 2027, comprising 10 from Haneda and five from Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). They reach 13 overseas destinations across North America, Asia and Australia, with Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International (CGK) appearing from both Tokyo airports. Loading map… Drag to explore ANA explicitly warns that assignments vary according to operational conditions and are not confirmed until the day of departure. The Pokémon theme continues inside the aircraft. ANA has produced Green-version headrest covers, limited-edition paper cups and cocktail napkins, while special background music forms part of the experience. Original Green Pokémon Jet stickers are also planned in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the airline's Pokémon-themed safety and disembarkation videos have been shown across almost the entire ANA fleet since December 2024. The three new jets also sit alongside ANA's existing Pikachu Jet NH, a 787-9 that entered international service in June 2023, and Eevee Jet NH, a 777-300ER that followed later that year. Those two aircraft marked ANA's return to Pokémon-themed liveries after several years away and helped establish a more immersive modern formula that combines exterior artwork with onboard products and entertainment. ANA Has Been Flying Pokémon Jets Since 1998 ANA's history with Pokémon predates today's Pokémon Air Adventures campaign by decades. The airline introduced its first two Pokémon Jets in July 1998, using a 747-400D and 767-300, before adding another 767 later that year. ANA described these aircraft collectively as the world's first Pokémon Jets, launched only two years after Pokémon Red and Green debuted in Japan. The concept was an immediate success: by the end of January 1999, those first three aircraft had already carried more than one million passengers. ANA then took the concept overseas. A fourth Pokémon aircraft, another 747-400 known as the US Version, inaugurated service from Narita to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in February 1999, complete with Pokémon headrest covers and cabin-crew aprons. More liveries followed, including the Pikachu Jumbo and Ohana Jumbo in 2004 and the 777 Peace Jet in 2011. That original era finally ended in 2016 when the Peace Jet lost its Pokémon colors, closing an almost uninterrupted 18-year run, according to Bulbagarden. Year ANA Pokémon Milestone 1998 First Pokémon Jets enter domestic service: one 747-400D and two 767-300s 1999 Pokémon Jet US Version launches to New York-JFK 2004 Pikachu Jumbo and Ohana Jumbo era begins 2011 Boeing 777 Peace Jet introduced 2016 Original ANA Pokémon Jet era ends 2023 ANA returns with Pikachu Jet NH and Eevee Jet NH 2026 Red, Green and Blue three-aircraft program launches Pokémon aircraft didn't disappear entirely during ANA's absence. Skymark Airlines joined the later Pokémon Air Adventures program with a Pikachu-themed 737 in 2021, while Air Do put Vulpix on a 767; Scoot followed with a Pikachu 787-9 in 2022, and China Airlines unveiled its own Pokémon Airbus A321neo the same year. The concept has since spread further, including additional aircraft from participating airlines, turning what began with ANA in 1998 into a multinational aviation branding program. The Green Pokémon Jet is therefore not just a one-off special livery. It is the latest chapter in a marketing partnership nearly three decades old, which has delighted millions of passengers, young and old, around the world.