Japan’s New Official Pokémon Plane Confirms US Routes Ahead of September Launch
ANA has confirmed when its next specially painted Pokémon aircraft will enter international service, giving overseas fans a much clearer opportunity to plan a trip around the new jet.
The Green Pokémon Jet will begin scheduled flights on September 18, 2026, operating as a Boeing 787-9 with the registration JA923A across a selection of routes connecting Tokyo with destinations in North America, Asia and Australia.
The aircraft is part of a three-plane project celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pokémon and the 40th anniversary of ANA’s international services, with the airline reviving the Pokémon Jet name that it first used back in 1998.
While the already operational Red Pokémon Jet concentrates on Fire-type first partner Pokémon, the international Green version places Pikachu alongside the Grass-type partners that players have encountered at the beginning of their adventures across different generations of Pokémon games.
Its exterior includes Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Treecko, Turtwig, Snivy, Chespin, Rowlet, Grookey and Sprigatito, alongside Browt from Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves and multiple appearances from Pikachu.
The colorful design stretches across both sides of the aircraft, turning the considerably larger Boeing 787-9 into the international counterpart to ANA’s Red Pokémon Jet, which began flying domestic routes around Japan in July.
The Pokémon theme continues inside the cabin, where ANA is introducing special headrest covers, limited-edition cups and cocktail napkins decorated for the anniversary project.
The headrest covers and cups are planned for Economy and Premium Economy on international services, while the Pokémon cocktail napkins will also extend into Business Class.
Special background music adds another element to the onboard experience, making the collaboration more than a livery that passengers only see while boarding or watching the aircraft from the terminal.
Passengers will also be able to receive an original Pokémon Jet sticker, limited to one per passenger per flight and distributed for approximately two months after the aircraft enters service while supplies last.
For anyone planning a trip partly for the collectibles, that makes the period immediately following the September launch the best window to aim for, although ANA warns that stickers may not be available on every flight or under all operating conditions.
Original merchandise based on the Red, Green and Blue Pokémon Jets is planned as well, with ANA currently intending to begin sales after all three aircraft have entered service through in-flight shopping, airport stores and its online shop.
For fans who specifically want to experience the aircraft rather than simply spot it at an airport, ANA has confirmed that its inaugural service will be flight NH186 from Tokyo Haneda to Honolulu on September 18.
That flight is scheduled to leave Haneda at 9:55 PM and arrive in Honolulu at 10:35 AM local time, while return flight NH185 is scheduled to depart Honolulu at 1:55 PM and reach Haneda at 5:25 PM the following day.
Honolulu therefore offers one of the clearest opportunities for US-based fans hoping to build a trip around the launch itself, although ANA notes that aircraft assignments can still change for operational reasons.
After its debut, the Green Pokémon Jet is scheduled to rotate between a much wider group of international services rather than remaining dedicated to a single route.
Flights departing from or arriving at Tokyo Haneda can potentially use the aircraft on routes serving Honolulu, Seattle, Vancouver, Sydney, Manila, Singapore, Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
The aircraft can also appear on ANA services between Tokyo Narita and Perth, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta and Mumbai, giving fans across Asia and Australia several additional ways to work the Pokémon-themed flight into a trip to Japan.
For North American travelers, Honolulu and Seattle are the two announced US destinations, while Vancouver provides another option from Canada, and Australian fans can potentially encounter the jet on flights connecting Tokyo with either Sydney or Perth.
There are currently no European destinations in the announced route pool, so fans traveling from Europe specifically to experience the plane would need to build their journey around Tokyo or another destination served by the aircraft.
The published operating routes currently cover the period from September 18, 2026 through March 27, 2027, giving international visitors several months rather than a short launch window in which to try their luck.
There is one important catch for anyone planning a trip solely around the aircraft, as ANA says the individual routes assigned to JA923A can vary with daily operations and may not be finalized until the day of departure.
Booking a flight on one of the listed routes therefore does not guarantee the Green Pokémon Jet, making the aircraft registration JA923A particularly useful to keep an eye on as your departure approaches.
The Green Pokémon Jet’s arrival will also trigger the second phase of ANA’s Pokémon GO collaboration, extending the experience beyond the aircraft itself for fans traveling around Japan.
From September 18, special ANA-themed PokéStops and Gyms will appear at 14 airports across Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa, accompanied by Raid Battles and exclusive Timed Research.
Bulbasaur will be the featured Raid Pokémon, with catches from participating airport raids receiving a special Green Pokémon Jet Location Background and a chance of appearing as Shiny Bulbasaur.
The participating airports are Kochi, Matsuyama, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Fukuoka, Saga, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Oita, Ishigaki, Miyako and Naha, giving fans taking a wider trip around Japan another Pokémon activity to add to their itinerary.
Timed Research can be claimed once during this second phase at any participating airport and expires three days after it is received, while players who already participated in the first phase are still eligible to collect the new research.
The Pokémon GO event will continue until August 31, 2027, and ANA has already confirmed that another phase is planned to accompany the eventual launch of the Blue Pokémon Jet.
That third aircraft is a Boeing 737-800 featuring Water-type first partner Pokémon and is currently scheduled to enter domestic service in Japan during winter 2026, although its exact launch date has yet to be announced.
For international Pokémon fans, the Green Pokémon Jet is easily the most accessible of ANA’s three anniversary aircraft so far, with its September 18 launch and broad international route pool making it possible to turn the flight itself into part of a wider trip to Japan.
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