ANA's New Green Pokémon Jet Locks In Honolulu, Seattle, Vancouver Routes

All Nippon Airways has confirmed the international routes for its newest Pokémon-themed aircraft, and Pacific-facing travelers are among the first who could spot it. The Green Pokémon Jet, a Boeing 787-9 registered as JA923A, enters service on September 18, 2026, with a route pool that includes Honolulu, Seattle and Vancouver alongside stops across Asia and Australia.

According to Essential Japan, the jet's debut flight is NH186, departing Tokyo Haneda at 9:55 pm on September 18 and arriving in Honolulu at 10:35 am local time the same day. The return leg, NH185, departs Honolulu at 1:55 pm and lands back at Haneda at 5:25 pm on September 19. The aircraft is expected to remain in that international rotation through March 27, 2027, per the outlet's reporting.

The Green Jet is the second aircraft in a three-plane project that ANA and The Pokémon Company built to mark two anniversaries landing in the same year: Pokémon's 30th birthday, dating to the February 27, 1996 Japanese release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green, and ANA's 40th anniversary of scheduled international flying, which traces back to a Narita-to-Guam route that launched March 3, 1986 aboard a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, according to ANA. As of March 2026, the carrier's international network spans 55 routes across 40 cities, with plans to grow international passenger and cargo volume 1.3 times by fiscal year 2030, the airline said.

Where the Jet Can Actually Fly

Per Essential Japan's reporting, the Green Jet's announced route pool has no European destinations. From Tokyo Haneda, it can serve Honolulu, Seattle, Vancouver, Sydney, Manila, Singapore, Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. From Tokyo Narita, the pool includes Perth, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta and Mumbai. Australian stops are limited to Sydney and Perth, while Vancouver is the sole confirmed Canadian destination.

ANA has been direct that none of this is a sure thing for individual travelers. The airline warned that routes assigned to JA923A can shift with daily operational needs, and aircraft assignments are typically finalized only on the day of departure, the outlet reported. Booking a listed route does not guarantee a passenger will actually board the Green Pokémon Jet, since the aircraft rotates among a wider group of international services. Travelers hoping to fly it are advised to track the JA923A registration number to check whether it is assigned to their specific departure.

Grass-Type Cabin, Pikachu Everywhere

Inside, the aircraft is decorated with Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Treecko, Turtwig, Snivy, Chespin, Rowlet, Grookey and Sprigatito — the Grass-type starter Pokémon from every generation of the video game franchise — plus multiple appearances from Pikachu, according to Essential Japan's account. ANA has added special background music to the onboard experience and built out cabin artwork featuring Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves designs.

The airline has also rolled out themed merchandise: pokémon-branded headrest covers and limited-edition cups for economy and premium economy passengers on international flights, and cocktail napkins for business class. Each passenger can also claim one original Pokémon Jet sticker per flight, though ANA cautioned that stickers may not be available on every flight or under all operating conditions, and it plans to distribute them for roughly two months after the aircraft enters service while supplies last. The merchandise is sold through in-flight shopping, airport stores and ANA's online shop, and the carrier plans to expand the lineup once all three anniversary jets — Red, Green and Blue — are flying.

Part of a Three-Jet Anniversary Trilogy

The Green Jet is the middle entry in ANA's three-aircraft tribute, which mirrors the color scheme of the original Game Boy titles. The domestic Red Pokémon Jet, a Boeing 787-8 registered JA819A decorated with Fire-type starters including Charmander, Cyndaquil and Fuecoco, entered regular Japan service on July 29, 2026, according to ANA's own announcement. Before that, the airline held a hangar unveiling at its Haneda maintenance facility on July 28, admitting 80 lottery winners drawn from the ANA Mileage Club to view the plane and exclusive cabin items ahead of launch.

The final aircraft, the domestic Blue Pokémon Jet, is a Boeing 737-800 registered JA56AN featuring Water-type starter Pokémon. It is scheduled to begin flying Japan's domestic routes sometime in winter 2026, though the exact launch date has not yet been announced, ANA has said. The Blue Jet serves domestic routes around Japan, much like the Red Jet, while the Green Jet is the trilogy's dedicated international aircraft.

ANA's Pokémon branding history stretches back nearly three decades. The airline flew the world's first Pokémon-themed commercial aircraft starting July 1, 1998, using a Boeing 747-400 and a Boeing 767-300 timed to the release of Pokémon: The First Movie, according to background compiled on Wikipedia. Those original Pokémon Jets flew until 2016. After a seven-year gap, ANA revived the concept in June 2023 with two international Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, the Pikachu Jet NH and the Eevee Jet NH, under The Pokémon Company's broader Pokémon Air Adventures initiative — a campaign launched in June 2021 to help revitalize Japan's aviation and tourism sectors following the pandemic, with the company waiving copyright fees for partner carriers including Skymark Airlines, Scoot and China Airlines.

A Pokémon GO Tie-In at 14 Regional Airports

The Green Jet's launch also triggers the second phase of ANA's collaboration with Niantic's Pokémon GO, according to Essential Japan. ANA-themed PokéStops and Gyms are appearing at 14 airports across Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa, including Kochi, Matsuyama, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Fukuoka, Saga, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Oita, Ishigaki, Miyako and Naha. Bulbasaur is the featured raid Pokémon for this phase, and participating airport raids offer a special Green Pokémon Jet location background along with a chance to encounter a shiny Bulbasaur.

The tie-in includes exclusive timed research that can be claimed once during this phase at any participating airport, and it expires three days after a player receives it. Players who already took part in the first phase of the collaboration remain eligible for the new research, the outlet reported, and the broader in-game event is set to continue until August 31, 2027. ANA has said it plans yet another Pokémon GO phase timed to the eventual launch of the Blue Pokémon Jet.

The franchise's onboard footprint extends into required safety procedures, too. In August 2024, ANA and The Pokémon Company introduced a Pokémon-themed in-flight safety video shown across all domestic and international flights, built to satisfy safety-demonstration guidelines from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, according to The Pokémon Company.