With 36 Boeing 787-8s and 26 Boeing 787-9s currently in its fleet, All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the largest 787 operator in the world. The first two 787-8s operated by ANA – the launch customer of the type – were delivered to the airline in 2011 wearing a special “mackerel” livery.
The first one of those (JA801A) was repainted into the regular ANA livery back in February, while the second one (JA802A) emerged in the regular livery a couple of days ago. As such, no more 787-8s are wearing the livery that the aircraft type first entered into airline service with.
ANA 787-8s: Through “Mackerel” and “787” to “Inspiration of Japan”
Between ANA’s Dreamliner order being announced and now, the 787-8s wore four different liveries.
The first one of those – what many would consider the regular ANA livery – was what people were expecting most of the 787s to be wearing. In the end, however, it turned out that only Boeing’s prototype – N787EX – was the one to sport it.
The aircraft was donated to Pima Air & Space Museum by Boeing back in 2015, and it can still be seen there wearing the “original” ANA livery.
This is ANA demo #Dreamliner N787EX (002) donated by #Boeing to Pima Air and Space #avgeek pic.twitter.com/7FX59bNtUd
— Tom Korocz (@tomkorocz) 2017年3月26日
While the above was the prototype, the first two 787-8s to actually be delivered to ANA – JA801A and JA802A – were wearing the “mackerel” (“saba” in Japanese) livery. As mentioned above, the first one of those was repainted into the new “regular” ANA livery in February 2017, while the second one followed suit in October 2017.
The next 22 airframes – from JA803A to JA824A – were delivered in an ANA livery modified to include large “787” titles on the front part of their fuselage. All of those are still operating in the same livery.
Finally, the last twelve 787-8s were delivered wearing the new regular ANA livery – featuring “Inspiration of Japan” titles.
787-9s: Regular with the Exception of the “R2D2 ANA Jet”
As for the 787-9s, starting with the first one – JA830A – they were delivered wearing the regular “Inspiration of Japan” livery.
The only exception to that is the one of ANA’s four Star Wars Jets – the “R2D2 ANA Jet” which wears a livery based on the famous Star Wars robot.
787-9s and 787-10s: What’s Next?
With the “mackerels” gone, the only true special livery remaining on the ANA’s 787s is the R2D2 ANA Jet.
However, there are still 18 787-9s and 3 787-10s to be delivered to ANA, and so I hope at least one of those will wear some sort of a special livery. Or, that one of the existing airplanes will be repainted into something else than the “Inspiration of Japan” livery.
If nothing else, then at least the Star Alliance livery.
Until then, I will enjoy photographing the R2D2 ANA Jet!
