After ten years in the skies, All Nippon Airways (ANA) have retired their R2-D2 themed Boeing 787-9, with the final of the four special liveries, featuring C-3PO, to be retired in early 2026.
The special liveries were such a large commercial success that it inspired multiple other airlines to explore their own Star Wars tie-ups, resulting in a second wave of special liveries on multiple aircraft types.
The R2-D2 livery has adorned one of ANA’s 787-9s ever since it was delivered from Boeing’s Charleston facility in September 2015. The airline is currently the largest operator of the Boeing 787, with 84 aircraft across all three variants, and a further 35 still to be delivered. The R2-D2 aircraft, registration JA873A, was the first of four ANA aircraft to have a Star Wars special livery, and upon entering service it included a range of special Star Wars promotions onboard the aircraft.
ANA’s decade-long agreement with Disney Corporation is set to expire, and so JA873A will soon revert to the standard ANA branding. But as it winds down to the removal of the livery, the R2-D2 aircraft has been doing something of a world tour, flying to Paris, Frankfurt, Houston, Vienna, Los Angeles, and Munich over the past two weeks. Its final flight in the livery was earlier this month from Washington Dulles International Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport, where it was removed from service for re-painting.
Commenting on X, an ANA spokesperson had the following to say:
“It’s a bittersweet moment for us. The R2-D2 ANA Jet has served us well, but like all droids, it eventually needs to power down. R2’s mission to bring joy to passengers around the world is complete, and it’s earned a well-deserved rest. We truly appreciate how much love you’ve shown for our R2-D2 ANA jet. It’s been an incredible journey bringing smiles to fans around the world.”
