ANA announced today that the carrier will retire its popular R2-D2 livery which appeaers on one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft effective almost immediately.
ANA is Retiring its R2-D2 Livery Tomorrow
The final flights for the aircraft, registration JA873A, will operate between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) as of August 6, 2025. In the announcement ANA notes that the final flight is subject to change, recognizing that aircraft swaps are possible. Currently, the following schedule is expected for R2-D2’s final flight:
- August 6, 2026: NH 102 (HND-IAD)
- August 6, 2025: NH 101 (IAD-HND)
Oddly enough, Washington Dulles is where I had the chance to get up close and personal with this particular aircraft as we grove past it in one of the airport’s famous people movers (or moon buggies as I call them).
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner that currently features the livery is expected to be repainted into the standard ANA house colors.
This is no doubt a sad moment for Star Wars fans, planespotters, and AvGeeks who have had the opportunity to catch this plane all around the globe.
Summary
ANA is retiring its R2-D2 livery with the final flight expected to occur on August 6, 2025. It will operate its final roundtrip flight as NH102/NH101 between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Washington D.C.
