Japan Gets A New Pokémon Airplane And It’s Glorious

Since 1998, All Nippon Airways have covered its planes Pocket Monsters. Its latest plane features Pikachu.

As Kai-You (via SoraNews) reports, the new plane was unveiled earlier this week with the new Pokémon Jet officially called Soratobu Pikachu Project (Fly in the Sky Pikachu Project). The plane, which is covered with ten Pikachus, is for ANA’s budget flier Skymark Airlines. Check out the unveiling here and here.

The first Pokémon Jet, a Boeing 747-400D for ANA, was covered with Clefairy, Pikachu, Togepi, Mew, Mewtwo, Snorlax, Jigglypuff, Psyduck, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. In December, a Pokémon Jet with Exeggutor went into service, but prior to that, the most recent one launched in 2011 with Oshawott, Pikachu, Victini, Zekrom, Darumaka, Pansage, Scraggy, Tepig, Snivy, Reshiram, Meowth, Axew, and Munna. The electric rodent has been featured on every plane, save for the Exeggutor, while this latest plane is the first to be Pikachu-only.

Inside the plane, the headrest covers feature Pikachu tied up in a bunch of balloons, apparently flying in the sky.

The character is also emblazoned on paper cups for drinks, and passengers get Pokémon Jet-branded Kit Kats, which are not airplane flavored (sorry!) but regular chocolate.

During drink and snack service, the flight crew will also wear spiffy Pikachu-themed aprons. (Note the Pikachu face mask!)

But the Pikachu motifs start even before passengers board the plane, as the check-in kiosks have been turned yellow and accented with Pikachu and social-distancing Pokéballs.

The tickets are also Pikachu-themed as are the priority baggage tags.

Neat, huh?

The plane is flying from Okinawa to locations across Japan, including Fukuoka, Kobe, Nagoya, and Ibaraki.

According to Traffic News, the Soratobu Pikachu Project plane will be flying for the next five years, so once Japan opens to international travel, international visitors will get a chance to fly the Pikachu skies.