Japanese Airline Bids Farewell to 10-Year Partner, Iconic Star Wars Painting R2-D2
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is set to retire its Star Wars-themed R2-D2 aircraft this Friday, marking the end of a decade-long collaboration between the Japanese airline and Lucasfilm. The R2-D2 aircraft, which has completed a world tour visiting cities like Paris, Frankfurt, Houston, Vienna, Los Angeles, and Munich, will be flying from Washington Dulles International Airport to Tokyo's Haneda Airport for its final journey.
The Star Wars Project, a marketing initiative launched by ANA and Lucasfilm in 2015, saw several specially painted aircraft, including the R2-D2, C-3PO, and BB-8 jets. The partnership also extended to themed gadgets, credit cards, and personalized in-flight services. However, with the final flights of the R2-D2 aircraft completed, ANA is concluding this collaboration rather than extending or initiating new Star Wars-related projects.
The R2-D2 aircraft was the first of four ANA planes to have a special Star Wars-themed paint job. The second painting represented C-3PO on a Boeing 777-200, while the third painting paid homage to the BB-8, a new droid character from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The last illustration was designed to pay homage to both R2-D2 and BB-8 simultaneously on a Boeing 767-300ER.
The removal of the R2-D2 aircraft marks a change in the partnership between ANA and Lucasfilm, potentially signaling a shift in marketing strategy. The C-3PO paint job on the Boeing 777-200 will be removed in January of next year, marking another significant step in this transition.
Despite the retirement of the Star Wars-themed aircraft, the partnership between ANA and Star Wars will continue, and new collaborations are being explored for the future. Star Wars remains a part of ANA's future collaborations, and the partnership has marked generations of fans.
In conclusion, after retiring the last Star Wars-themed R2-D2 ANA JET in August 2025, All Nippon Airways (ANA) is ending its Star Wars collaboration, which will officially close by March 31, 2026. No new collaborations between ANA and Star Wars are planned after the removal of the R2-D2 themed aircraft. This marks the retirement of a significant symbol of the collaboration between ANA and Star Wars.
The collaboration between ANA and Star Wars, which has included entertainment such as the sci-fi-and-fantasy themed aircraft, will not extend beyond the retirement of the R2-D2 themed ANA JET, scheduled for August 2025. This marks a pause in the ongoing partnership between the two entities, with no new Star Wars-related projects planned after the removal of the R2-D2 themed aircraft.
