Everything You Need To Know About The Pokemon Airplanes
What's better than flying around the regions of Johto or Sinnoh with the help of your Pokemon? Flying with the help of Pokemon in the real world! Since 1998, planes decorated with Pokemon decals have been seen in the sky above Japan, and a few have even been spotted internationally. The Pokeplanes have been made and used by multiple different air travel companies, but they've all been some form of Boeing commercial airplanes. The special jets have been used for a variety of purposes, but they're mainly used as a way to boost tourism. Don't worry, if you can't get a ride on one of these planes, you can get a die-cast model of them to display in all their glory.
There's more to these cute planes than meets the eye. In fact, most people might not even realize that there have been more than just two or three planes. There are plenty of fun facts to learn about the various planes that have taken to the skies. Here's everything you need to know about the Pokeplanes and their origins.
The official Pokemon Jets
There have been multiple different airlines that have created Pokemon planes, but the first and most famous ones are the Pokemon Jets from All Nippon Airways (ANA). While all of the Pokemon planes are technically Pokemon jets, the term "Pokemon Jets" applies to the specific ANA planes, which had several designs that centered around whatever generation of Pokemon was most recent at the time.
For example, the 1998 Pokemon Jet saw Pikachu, Togepi, Snorlax, Clefairy, and even Mew on one side of the plane while the '99 Pokemon Jet had a new paint scheme with Pokemon from Generation Two, like Ledyba. There was also a Pikachu Jumbo and an Ohana Jumbo that were revealed in 2004, which featured Pokemon through Generation Three. The last ANA Pokemon Jet was the Peace Jet, which flew for the first time in 2011. The Peace Jet had Pokemon through Generation Five.
Even more Pokemon planes
ANA wasn't the only company or series of Pokemon planes to release. Pokemon Air Adventures launched with an adorable Pika-plane called the Pikachu Jet BC, which was named after the code used by Skymark Airlines, the group that owned this jet. The Pikachu Jet BC was decorated with multiple Pikachus, all of which were tied to their own set of balloons so that Pikachu could quite literally fly with passengers. This floating Pikachu was also seen on the '98 ANA Pokemon Jet, meaning that the newer plane could have been created as a tribute to the classic design.
There's also another adorable plane from budget-friendly airline Air Do: the Vulpix Jet Hokkaido (via Nintendo Life). Vulpix and Alolan Vulpix are shown off on each side of the plane, representing the snowy areas of the Hokkaido island of Japan. The plane was created in an effort to boost tourism in the Hokkaido area, and it was a pretty fly way to show off the cute Pokemon. A similar Exeggutor plane was made to promote Miyazaki City, which has the gorgeous phoenix palm tree.
Other countries have joined in on the fun
While most of the Poke-planes have only appeared in the sky around Japan, there have been two that made it to various airports around the world. The first one was actually one of the ANA Pokemon Jets with a '99 paint scheme. The Jet, which featured a few Generation Two Pokemon, flew between New York and Tokyo to hit an entirely new Pokemon-loving audience.
Flying with Pikachu and friends didn't just happen in New York and various Japanese cities. Fans in Singapore got to experience the fun as well. The Pikachu Jet BC was also announced in mid-2021 to be planned for the Singapore budget airline Scoot (via IGN).
Despite being around for quite some time, the Pokemon planes don't seem to be going anywhere. If their popularity takes off in other countries, then they could make more trips internationally or to various countries around the world.
Most of the Pokemon airplanes have been grounded
All good things must come to an end, and most of the Pokemon airplanes have already had their final flights. Many of the originals don't take to the sky anymore, including the Pikachu Jumbo Jet and the Peace Jet.
One interesting thing about the "grounded" planes is that some of them still fly around today, they just don't have the signature Pokemon on them. Several of the Boeings are still used, but the decals have been removed. If you're flying with ANA in Japan, you can always check the plane's unique registration code to see if it matches any of the Pokemon jet planes. Pikachu can still soar with you in your heart.
However, with the Pokemon franchise continuing to thrive and new planes rotating in, there is the potential to see them more and more often. In fact, the release of the newer Pokemon planes seems to hint that there could be more on the way.
What the future could hold
Considering the newest Vulpix and Exeggutor planes, there's plenty of room for more regionally-themed planes to join the mix. In fact, Chansey has already been named as one the Pokemon for the Fukushima region of Japan, and there could be a plane featuring the jolly pink Pokemon in the future.
The Pokemon planes aren't just meant for getting around, and the tourism and money they bring in could prove to be too valuable for Japanese airlines to ignore. The planes are generally decked out with cute things from Pokemon napkins to Pokemon-themed uniforms for the flight attendants to cute keepsakes for kids (and adults if you're brave enough to ask for the kid's toy).
These Poke-planes have left quite the legacy with fans over the years, and it's hard to imagine them being gone completely. Hopefully, they'll have the same lifetime as the "Pokemon" franchise itself does, and fans can enjoy them both for years to come.