Over time, all of those, including Delta Air Lines and JAL among others, except for one retired the type. The sole remaining operator of the 767-300 is Asiana Airlines which has one last airframe in its fleet.

Continue reading to learn more about the unique aircraft and to see what flying on it was like.

HL7528: Asiana’s and the World’s Only Remaining 767-300

Based on Airfleets.net data, Asiana Airlines operated 20 different Boeing 767-300 series airframes at one point or another. Today, it is left with two of those: a 767-300F (a freighter based on the 767-300ER) registered HL7507 and a 767-300 registered HL7528. The latter is the world’s last active airframe of the variant.

In the past, the airline operated eight more 767-300s, a few more freighters, as well as some 767-300ERs. Most of those were delivered directly to Asiana Airlines and thus include the airline’s customer code “8E” in their exact type designation (e.g. 767-38E).

The sole remaining 767-300 was delivered to Asiana Airlines at the end of September 1999.

It is equipped with a pair of GE CF6 engines, which are also used on the 747-400 among other types, and flies in an all-economy class configuration with 290 seats spread across 41 rows in a 2-3-2 layout and one row featuring only the three seats in the middle section.

The aircraft currently flies solely on the Seoul Gimpo – Jeju route, which happens to be the world’s busiest air route. The flights can be booked directly on Asiana Airlines’ website, generally for about $50-$70 one way. In the past, the aircraft also used to operate international flights, such as to Osaka Kansai.

OZ8940 from Jeju to Seoul Gimpo: Flying on the World’s Last 767-300

The idea to fly on the Asiana Airlines 767-300 was born when I was planning my January 2024 trip to South Korea. With a full day in Seoul to spare, I could not resist booking a quick roundtrip to Jeju to try Korean Air’s A220 and, more importantly, fly on the Asiana 767.

The flight was my seventh on the non-ER 767-300 overall and my first one on the type since December 2021 when I flew on Air Do Bear Do Hokkaido Jet’s farewell flight.

Boarding at Jeju Airport

After arriving at Jeju, I quickly made my way to the Asiana Lounge where I was hoping to get a photo of the 767’s arrival from Seoul. Unfortunately, I should have instead went to the KAL Lounge which offered a much better view as I found out later.

With that, I went through security (both of the lounges are landside) around 12:25PM. Once airside, I took a few photos of the 767 through large windows just past the security check and then headed to gate 7 where my flight was scheduled to depart from at 12:50PM.

Boarding started at 12:30PM with a passenger on a wheelchair followed by Star Alliance Gold members and others eligible for priority boarding a minute later.

While the economy class line was long (the flight was almost full), the priority line only had three passengers ahead of me.

Onboard, I greeted the cabin crew at the door and turned right into the second aisle. I headed down about three quarters of the aircraft before settling in my right-hand side window seat 40K.

Cabin and Seats

As mentioned earlier, the Asiana Airlines 767-300 is in a high-density all-economy configuration with 290 seats. With only one large cabin rather than multiple smaller cabins separated by bulkheads/galleys, the cabin felt rather spacious.

The well-padded seats, while showing their age, were considerably more comfortable than many of their more modern slimline counterparts. The legroom was decent too.

All in all, being onboard the Asiana 767-300 felt like traveling in time. Even more so than when I flew on the airline’s 747-400 due to the lack of personal entertainment screens on the 767.

Everything from the thickly padded seats, overhead bins, wall design, and window shape, all the way to the overhead panels and (sealed) ashtrays gave the cabin a retro vibe.

Departure from Jeju Airport

At 12:51PM, given that the announcement was only made in Korean, I assume we were welcomed onboard by the captain. A couple of minutes later, the cabin crew closed the aircraft doors in preparation for our departure.

The cabin crew also made a welcome announcement mentioning our expected flight time of 50 minutes. A screening of the safety video on the overhead screens followed.

We were pushed back eight minutes behind schedule, at 12:58. Shortly after, the two GE CF6 engines came to life, resulting in amazing sounds and vibrations.

A steep take-off at 1:16PM followed a few minutes of taxiing and holding short of runway 07.

In-Flight Service

Just six minutes after take off, the seatbelt signs were switched off and the in-flight service started.

With it being just a short sub-one-hour domestic flight, only drinks were offered (I had a cup of orange juice).

I spent the rest of the flight looking out of the window, soaking in the retro atmosphere onboard, and taking a short nap.

Unsurprisingly, there was no in-flight entertainment or onboard wi-fi.

Arrival at Seoul Gimpo

The end of the flight approached when, at 1:44PM, the pilots asked the cabin crew to prepare for landing. By that time, the seatbelt signs were already on as they were switched on due to turbulence about midway through the flight and stayed on since then.

As we approached Seoul, I was surprised to see snow on the ground, which wasn’t there just a couple of hours earlier when I took off bound for Jeju.

At 2:02PM, we landed on Gimpo Airport’s runway 32L.

We came to a full stop at our arrival gate at 2:07PM, seven minutes behind schedule. I waited for the cabin to empty, took a few photos, and then got off the aircraft happy to have logged another flight on a nowadays rare type.

Summary

Over the years, Asiana Airlines operated quite a few Boeing 767 aircraft including -300s, -300ERs, and freighters. Today, however, it is left with only two – one 767-300 and one freighter. The former is special given that it is the world’s last active non-ER 767.

While I do not have the same emotional attachment to the 767 as I do to the 747 or MD-11, over the last couple of years, the type has grown on me. As such, I am happy to have been able to fly on the last active 767-300. If all goes as planned, I should have one more chance to fly on it in June.

The post The Last One in the World: Flying on Asiana’s Non-ER Boeing 767-300 appeared first on KN Aviation.

I had a chance to take the inaugural flight so continue reading to see what it was like and to learn more about the airline.

Toki Air: Japan’s First Locally-Owned Airline in 15 Years

In July 2009, Fuji Dream Airlines launched with two Embraer E170s. The airline has since grown to operate a fleet of 16 aircraft. Multiple other airlines, like ANA’s Peach and JAL’s ZIPAIR, launched since then. No airline unaffiliated with one of the major airlines launched in Japan until today, though.

Toki Air traces its origins back to December 2019 when a preparatory company began work on the airline. Toki Air itself was founded on July 29, 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic started to bring the travel industry to a standstill. To get started, the company received investment from several Niigata-based companies, as well as 1.16 billion yen (just under 10 million dollars at that time’s exchange rate) from Niigata Prefecture.

In preparation for launch, Toki Air leased two ATR 72-600s from Nordic Aviation Capital. The first aircraft, registered JA01QQ, arrived in Niigata in November 2022. The second aircraft, JA02QQ, touched down at its base for the first time in March 2023.

Toki Air’s first destination is Sapporo Okadama (a closer look at the inaugural flight will follow later in this article. It expects to connect Niigata with Sendai relatively soon, followed by Nagoya Chubu and Kobe at a later point.

Sado, an island that is part of Niigata Prefecture, is on the airline’s radar too. To be able to serve the route, however, the airline will need to take delivery of its first ATR 42-600S, a variant of the turboprop aircraft that is currently under development and that will have STOL (short take-off and landing) capability.

I shared my thoughts on Toki Air’s network plans and what I think about its business plan a couple of months ago here.

A Look Inside a Toki Air ATR 72-600

Toki Air’s ATR 72-600s are in the type’s standard configuration with, as its name suggests, 72 economy class seats. Given the type of routes the aircraft tends to operate, the seats are fairly bare-bones.

Each seat is equipped with a regular seat pocket, a small compartment at the top of the seatback, and a small tray table. Additionally, there are individual air vents too.

The one thing that I felt like Toki Air missed an opportunity on and could have put a bit of extra effort into were headrest covers. While there was a Toyota rent-a-car ad on the side visible to the passenger sitting in the seat behind, there was no Toki Air branding on the headrest covers’ main part.

Toki Air Inaugural Flight: The Steel Crested Ibis Finally Takes Off

Toki Air operated its inaugural flight on January 31, 2024. The flight, BV101 from Niigata to Sapporo Okadama, was “sold out” within a minute or two after being made available for booking on the morning of January 19, 2024. While I failed to secure a seat then, I was lucky to grab a seat 24 hours later when unpaid reservations expired.

The subsequent flights on the airline’s first day of operations, on the other hand, were nowhere near full. The airline’s first flight from Sapporo to Niigata carried 48 passengers (66.7% load factor), and the second rotation carried 28 and 29 passengers respectively (38.9% and 40.2% load factors).

One More Day to Go

When I arrived at Niigata Airport the evening before the first flight, Toki Air staff was preparing for the next day at the airline’s check-in counters and one of the screens above the counters was counting down the days left until the inaugural flight.

In another part of the airport, one of Toki Air’s captains just finished an interview with the media.

Outside, one of the airline’s two ATR 72-600s, JA01QQ, was waiting for the first flight.

The other ATR, JA02QQ, is currently undergoing maintenance in Tainan, Taiwan.

“This Is Not the Goal But the Start”

The next morning, when I got to the airport around 7AM, Toki Air staff was already hard at work in the central part of the airport’s check-in hall, preparing for an inaugural ceremony celebrating the momentous flight.

Over a dozen guests including the Niigata Prefecture governor, Niigata City mayor, Toki Air representative director, Tokyo Civil Aviation Bureau’s Niigata office head, and heads of Niigata offices of a few different Japanese and foreign airlines including ANA, JAL, Korean Air, and China Southern Airlines joined the event.

Hideyo Hanazumi, the Niigata Prefecture governor who is also the chairman of the Niigata Airport Improvement and Promotion Office, was the first to speak. After thanking everyone involved, he said “Of course, this is not the goal. This is the start,” hinting at the long road that Toki Air has ahead to become a well-recognized and profitable airline.

He also noted that Okadama Airport has different advantages than the larger Sapporo New Chitose Airport including being closer to the city and serving as a hub for JAL’s Hokkaido Air System which offers an extensive network of routes to other destinations around Hokkaido.

Hanazumi was followed by Niigata City’s mayor and Niigata Airport Improvement and Promotion Office’s vice chairman Yaichi Nakahara. Commenting on the route being the first-ever link between Niigata and Okadama Airport, he said he hopes the new flight will increase both business and leisure traffic between Hokkaido and Niigata and help with revitalizing the two regions’ local economies.

He ended his speech quite poetically saying “I hope that Toki Air will fly gracefully and safely like the Crested Ibis of Sado soars in the sky.” Sado, an island that is part of Niigata Prefecture, is well-known for its population of crested ibises (“toki” in Japanese) which gave the name to the new airline.

Toki Air’s representative director Masaki Hasegawa was the third to take the stage. On the brink of tears, he started by thanking all of Toki Air’s staff and their families, as well as everyone else involved in getting Toki Air to the point where it was ready to operate its first flight.

In addition to expressing his hope about Toki Air helping to revitalize Niigata’s local economy, Hasegawa also reminisced about his childhood. Reminiscing about the lack of opportunities he had to fly when he was growing up in Niigata, he said he hopes a lot of young people fly on Toki Air.

The last person to speak at the inaugural ceremony was Yamaguchi Keito, the head of Tokyo Civil Aviation Bureau’s Niigata Airport Office.

He talked about the rigorous airline certification process Toki Air had to go through and the hope he for Toki Air’s growth contributing to the region’s growth and the growth of aviation in Japan in general.

After the speeches, Toki Air’s representative director was presented with flowers. He was also gifted an artwork made by Tokyo Gakkan Niigata High School’s calligraphy club.

At the end of the inaugural ceremony, all of the guests lined up with “yuruchara” characters including Niigata’s Lerch (a character themed after Theodor von Lerch, an Austro-Hungarian general who introduced skiing to Japan) for a photo shoot.

Smooth Check-in Handled by JAL Staff

Once the inaugural ceremony was over, I (once again) headed over to Toki Air’s counters on the far left side of the check-in hall. There, after waiting two or three minutes in a modest line, I was checked in by a friendly agent who printed my boarding pass as soon as she confirmed my reservation number.

While online check-in was possible, I decided to check in at the counter to get a printed boarding pass (which, unfortunately, ended up being about as generic as it gets).

It is worth noting here that all ground handling was done by staff in JAL uniforms (technically employees of Niigata Koku Service, the sole ground handling company at the airport).

We will have to see whether or not that is a sign of a potential larger-scale partnership with JAL (along the lines of Fuji Dream Airlines’) in the future.

One Gate, Two Flights: Boarding Toki Air’s Inaugural Flight

With the inaugural flight boarding pass in my hand, I headed upstairs to the departure floor and went through security. That took a few minutes as a good number of mostly Toki Air passengers was already in the queue.

The boarding pass indicated the flight as departing from gate 1. In reality, it was gate A since Niigata Airport (at least its domestic terminal) uses letters rather than numbers. An Ibex Airlines flight was departing from the same gate just ten minutes before our flight.

At 9:05AM, an announcement was made that boarding would start at 9:10AM, that there was only one lavatory onboard so those that needed to use it should consider going on the ground instead, and that because we would be walking to the aircraft, we might have to wait outside a bit.

Boarding started as announced with passengers seated in rows 1 through 9 invited to board first, while the Ibex flight to Fukuoka was still boarding. Less than five minutes later, the rest of the passengers were invited to board.

In the passage connecting the gate with the stairs leading to the apron, Toki Air staff was handing out gift bags to commemorate the special occasion.

Outside, people were stopping in front of the aircraft to take photos before getting onboard.

Just as I was making my way to the stairs leading to the apron, a Fuji Dream Airlines Embraer E175 arriving from Nagoya landed behind the Toki Air ATR 72 waiting for its first flight to Sapporo, as if to hand over its status of the most recent non-major airline-affiliated airline in Japan to Toki Air.

At Long Last! A Round of Applause and a Couple of Extra Turns

Onboard, I was welcomed by Shumpei, one of the two flight attendants serving the flight (in the air, they were joined by more staff helping with requests to fill out log books and so on). He, like the other crew members, was wearing a pair of white sneakers to go with the rest of the uniform – a style that a few other airlines employ too.

Settled in my seat, 11B (unfortunately, no more window seats were available by the time I got my ticket), I waited for our departure. First, though, around 9:35AM, the cabin crew made an announcement welcoming everyone onboard, which was followed by a round of applause by the passengers.

A manual safety demonstration followed before we taxied out of our parking spot seven minutes behind schedule, at 9:37AM. On the apron, well over a dozen staff members waved to send us off. In a park near runway 28 end, even more people were lined up to see this very special flight’s departure.

At 9:46AM, we took off runway 28. As soon as the wheels left the ground, a round of applause echoed through the cabin.

After take-off, we didn’t make a simple right turn to head toward our destination.

Instead, we first made a 180-degree right turn followed by another 90-degree right turn to fly back toward Niigata Airport and bid it farewell before making a left turn to head toward Sapporo.

A Friendly Onboard Service and A Well-Stocked Gift Bag

Less than five minutes after take-off, the crew made an announcement permitting the use of seat reclining and tray tables. Another five minutes later, the seatbelt signs were switched off.

At 10AM, onboard service started with the friendly crew handing out manju (Japanese sweets). While this service was limited to the airline’s first few flights, going forward the airline will be offering bottled tea and packaged snacks made by Niigata-based companies.

On the inaugural flight, the standard service items – i.e. a bottle of herb tea and a small pack of rice crackers – were included in the gift bag.

The gift bag included a small bag of rice (Niigata Prefecture produces the most rice in Japan) and a box of candies, both in special packaging commemorating Toki Air’s launch.

Additionally, a boarding certificate, a baggage tag, a clear file, a paper model of Toki Air’s ATR, and a magazine were in the bag too. The bag itself was a keepsake too and came with a small storage pouch.

At 10:15AM, the captain welcomed us onboard, mentioning that we were passing over Akita and would then overfly Aomori and Hakodate before arriving at Okadama Airport on time, at 11:10AM. He also thanked us for joining the special flight.

Five minutes later, the cabin crew passed through the cabin offering a variety of reading materials including a local Niigata newspaper and a magazine about Sapporo.

With that, the in-flight service ended.

A Warm Welcome in Cold Sapporo

After a relatively uneventful remainder of the eventful flight, the cabin crew made an announcement saying we would be starting preparations for landing soon and that it was -3 degrees Celsius in Sapporo.

Then, at 10:50AM, the seatbelt signs were switched back on.

Descending over snow-covered Hokkaido, the pilots lowered the landing gear at 11:04AM, three minutes before we landed on Okadama Airport’s runway 14.

From there, it was just another three minutes until we reached our parking spot at 11:10AM, exactly on time.

While taxiing in, a crowd of people welcomed us from the airport’s small observation deck. Inside the terminal, just outside the baggage claim area, we were warmly welcomed by Okadama Airport and Sapporo Chamber of Commerce representatives who were handing out gift bags with small Okadama Airport-themed hand towels.

With that, the inaugural flight was over and so I headed to the observation deck to send off the return flight to Niigata before heading over to Sapporo New Chitose Airport to catch my flight back to Tokyo.

The second Toki Air flight, and the first one from Sapporo Okadama, departed at 12:01PM (11 minutes behind schedule) with, as already mentioned, 48 passengers onboard.

Summary

Toki Air’s inaugural flight went very well – the staff was friendly and professional both on the ground and in the air, the flight arrived on time, and the inaugural ceremony and gift bag were a nice way to make the flight more special than the second flight and beyond.

That said, as the Niigata Prefecture governor said, the inaugural flight was just the start. In the coming months (and hopefully years), Toki Air will need to continue building its route network and, most importantly, brand to increase its load factors and become profitable.

Personally, I think the only viable way for it to do so will be to sign a major partnership with JAL or ANA but we will have to see!

The post Onboard Toki Air’s Inaugural Flight: The Steel Crested Ibis Carries Passengers at Long Last appeared first on KN Aviation.

While I took photos of the type a number of times since that moment, it took me nearly 20 years from seeing the aircraft in the now-defunct SkyEurope Airlines’ livery to getting a chance to fly on one in September 2023. While the Aeroexpress Regional flight from Cluj-Napoca in Romania to Budapest in Hungary was short, it was fun and memorable.

Continue reading to learn more about Aeroexpress Regional and the EMB-120, and to see what the flight was like.

Budapest Air Service: The Company Behind Aeroexpress Regional

Aeroexpress Regional is a relatively new venture. However, rather than being an airline actually operating its flights, Aeroexpress Regional’s flights are operated by one of its shareholders, Budapest Air Service (BASe).

Budapest Air Service has been around since 1991 when it started operations using leased Let L-410. Today, it operates three Embraer EMB-120s. All three of the aircraft were originally delivered to Denmark’s DAT and (with stints with other airlines in between) joined Budapest Air Service in 2005 and 2008.

The three aircraft were built roughly in the middle of the EMB-120’s production run of 357 airframes and include:

• HA-FAI (MSN 123; delivered in 1989 to DAT as OO-DTJ; joined BASe in 2005)
• HA-FAL (MSN 104; delivered in 1988 to DAT as OO-DTH; joined BASe in 2008)
• HA-FAN (MSN 176; delivered in 1990 to DAT as OO-DTL; joined BASe in 2008)

These aircraft are the last EMB-120s flying on scheduled passenger flights in Europe and some of the last few in the world. While “FAN” is still flying in BASe’s basic livery, both “FAI” and “FAL” are wearing Aeroexpress Regional’s livery.

In addition to operating Aeroexpress Regional flights, Budapest Air Service also operates domestic public service obligation (PSO) flights in Finland. Namely, as of the time of writing this article, it connects Helsinki with Pori on behalf of Karhu.aero and Savonlinna on behalf of Norppa.aero.

Aeroexpress Regional: BASE’s Venture Connecting Hungary and Romania

Interestingly, Aeroexpress was founded by Daniel Somogyi-Toth – the head of Aeropark, an amazing aviation museum with a collection of Soviet-era airlines including the Tu-134 and Tu-154. The museum is located right next to Budapest Airport and is well worth a visit if you have some time in the city.

As mentioned earlier, Budapest Air Service owns a part of the airline.

Aeroexpress Regional launched its first and so far only route a few months ahead of its initial plan, Budapest – Cluj-Napoca, on December 16, 2022. The route is currently operated three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with two rotations on some of the days. The flights are easily bookable on the airline’s website.

At between $60 and $80 one-way, the flights give people wanting to travel between the two cities a very affordable way to cut their travel time from more than a 5-hour-long drive to less than an hour-long flight. The flights also give aviation enthusiasts based in Europe a very affordable way to fly on the elusive EMB-120.

Whether and how the network of Aeroexpress Regional will expand remains to be seen. Potential other connections between Hungary and Romania including between Debrecen and Târgu Mureș were hinted at by the airline in the past.

Onboard an Aeroexpress Regional Embraer EMB-120

The Aeroexpress Regional Embraer EMB-120s seat a total of 30 passengers in an all-economy class configuration.

As with other aircraft with similar cross-sections including Embraer’s ERJ-145, the seats are in a “1-2” layout. In other words, there is a row of single seats on the left side of the fuselage and a row of pairs of seats on the right side of the fuselage. In the case of Budapest Air Service aircraft, the left side are “A” seats while the right side are “D” and “F” seats.

The seats, while showing their age, were comfortable enough for the short flight that I took. The legroom was sufficient too and the extra privacy that the single “A” seats provided was nice to have given that I was traveling on my own.

What I found interesting about the aircraft were the tray tables – both the regular ones, as well as the one mounted on the bulkhead at the front of the aircraft jointly serving passengers in seats 2D and 2F.

The former had metal supports holding it in position while the latter looked more like a diaper-changing table than a tray table. While there was no one in the seats during my flight, I can imagine the awkward situation of 2D and 2F being occupied by passengers who do not know each other and one wanting to use the tray table.

The aircraft’s overhead panels with large red rectangular flight attendant call buttons and reading light switches were a good reminder of the era in which the aircraft entered into service. Individual air vents were nice to have.

Interestingly, in addition to English and Hungarian, the emergency exit signs also featured French. That was likely a remainder from the time the aircraft operated for Regional, a French regional airline.

Flying on Aeroexpress Regional from Cluj-Napoca to Budapest

When planning the trip on the EMB-120, I was sure that I wanted to fly it. That said, it took me a while to figure out the best way to fit it into the schedule of my month-long family trip to Europe. Ultimately, rather than flying on the flight from Budapest to Cluj-Napoca, I settled on a flight in the other direction.

Check-in at a Lone Desk & Boarding

I could select my seat and check-in online the day before. That said, after arriving in Cluj-Napoca from Bucharest on TAROM’s 737-700 retro jet and waiting in the terminal a bit, I still decided to look for Aeroexpress Regional’s check-in counters to get a proper boarding pass.

Walking almost the entire length of the fairly small terminal, I reached the airline’s sole check-in desk, desk number 14. A bit less than two hours before the scheduled departure time, I approached the agent who, after confirming I had no checked baggage, printed my boarding pass.

There was one other passenger who came to the desk shortly after me, but otherwise, it was deserted. Presumably, most passengers either checked in online or arrived at the airport closer to the departure time. The rest of the check-in hall was deserted too.

That said, there was a pigeon walking around. Maybe he got tired of having to flap his wings and decided to catch a flight on a jet instead…

With a boarding pass in my hand, I went through security and immigration both of which were a breeze.

My flight was departing from gate B2 which was in a temporary building connected to the main terminal part of which was being reconstructed. Since I still had some time before boarding would start, I went to Cluj-Napoca’s sole and aptly named international Business Lounge.

I left the lounge around 10AM and headed to the temporary building which, surprisingly, had not only seating and toilets but also a number of different shops.

While waiting for boarding to start, I watched the EMB-120 that would be operating my flight (reg. HA-FAI) arrive from Budapest through a narrow window.

Around 10:15AM – half an hour before the scheduled departure time – the same agent that was handling check-in came to the gate and started preparing for boarding.

Boarding started about 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time when a bus arrived to pick us up.

A few minutes and a short bus ride later, I found myself in front of the aircraft, excited to be taking my first ride on the EMB-120.

Before climbing the short airstairs, I waited for other passengers to board so that  I could take a photo of the aircraft without people in front of it. While doing so, one of the airport’s ground staff approached me and offered to take a photo of me – thank you!

Flight RP571 Departure: Not a “Goodbye”

Stepping onboard, I was welcomed by the friendly flight attendant serving the flight and headed down the aisle to my seat 4A. Soon after, the captain welcomed us onboard through the PA and mentioned that we would be flying for 55 minutes and that the weather in Budapest was roughly the same as in Cluj.

Then, at 10:41AM, the flight attendant closed the aircraft door and we were ready to go.

At that point, most of the seats on the plane were taken. The cockpit jumpseat was taken too which meant the cockpit door couldn’t be closed. Unfortunately, there was still a curtain which made it impossible to see inside the cockpit.

Not long after that, the engines were started one after the other and, at 10:50AM (five minutes behind schedule), we taxied out of our parking spot.

Once on Cluj-Napoca Airport’s sole runway, we backtracked a bit to reach its 25 end.

At 10:55AM, we took off, accompanied by a great buzzing sound and vibrations.

A Free Drink and Snack Service

Just five minutes after take-off, the seatbelt signs were switched off.

Not long after that, the flight attendant started the onboard service. It was great to see Aeroexpress Hungary offering free service even though the flight was less than an hour long. That’s not something one sees every day in 2023.

The service consisted of a snack run followed by a drink run.

Two types of brownies and salty sticks were available in the snack basket. I went with the salty sticks which are one of my favorite snacks overall.

Drinks offered included water, coffee, and tea. I found it especially nice that both still and sparkling water were offered. Not feeling like having a hot drink, I enjoyed a cup of sparkling water.

About fifteen minutes after the snacks and drinks were served, the flight attendant passed through the cabin to collect trash.

Arrival at Aeroexpress Regional’s Base

The rest of the short flight, I enjoyed the views, looked in the seat pocket (there were just a safety card and a waste bag), and took some photos of the cabin.

Then, at 10:35AM Hungary time (11:35AM Romania time), the seatbelt signs were switched back on.

A 180-degree turn above the outskirts of Budapest and 10 minutes of descending later, the landing gear was lowered.

Another three minutes later, at 10:48AM, we landed on Budapest Airport’s runway 13L.

We then taxied to our remote parking stop where we stopped at 10:54AM – 16 minutes ahead of schedule.

Before disembarking, I took a couple of photos of the cabin and then headed down the stairs onto the apron and the bus that was waiting to take us to the terminal.

I got off the bus around 11AM. In the terminal, I went through immigration and then drove back home, to Slovakia, bringing this great aviation-filled side trip to an end.

Summary

Aeroexpress Regional, together with Budapest Air Service, provides an opportunity to fly on the now-rare Embraer EMB-120 turboprop on scheduled flights within Europe. Whether you choose to fly the former’s flights between Hungary and Romania or the latter’s PSO flights within Finland, I am sure you will have a good time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the hour-long flight between Cluj-Napoca and Budapest. I did so not only because it gave me a chance to fly on the EMB-120 but also because of the friendly and, for 2023, generous service that Aeroexpress Regional provided.

The post Catching the Elusive EMB-120: A Short But Fun Aeroexpress Regional Flight appeared first on KN Aviation.

Over the years, the number of Dash 7 four-engined turboprops flying around the world has dwindled. With airlines like Air Greenland retiring the type out of their fleet, only two airlines operate the type on scheduled passenger flights today – Yellowknife-based Air Tindi and Nairobi-based Airkenya Express.

Recently, I had a chance to spend a couple of days with Air Tindi and learn more about its Dash 7s. I was even lucky to be able to join a flight from Yellowknife to Łutsel K’e and back. Continue reading to find out more about this very unique aircraft and to see what it was like to fly on one.

Air Tindi’s Dash 7 Fleet: One in Ten of All Produced Airframes

Being just over 80 feet long and able to carry up to 50 passengers depending on the operator and configuration, the Dash 7 is similar in size and capacity to ATR 42, Fokker 50, and Antonov An-24 among other aircraft types.

However, with four engines and the capability to operate from short, unpaved runways, the Dash 7 offers capabilities that arguably no other aircraft in this class – and even less so any in-production aircraft – can fully match. This makes it the perfect workhorse to serve in the Canadian North and other rugged environments.

Because of this, it is no wonder that Air Tindi continues to operate the type to this day. In fact, the airline is so committed to keeping the type in service as long as possible that in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it doubled down and bought seven Dash 7 airframes from Trans Capital Air, a Toronto-based airline operating aircraft for the United Nations.

Based on the Canadian civil aircraft register, the acquisition brought the number of Air Tindi-owned Dash 7s up to 11 – a whopping one in ten of the 113 airframes built while the type was in production between 1975 and 1988. That said, not all of the 11 Dash 7s are active.

All but one of the recently acquired ex-Trans Capital Air airframes sit in Toronto awaiting their fate. For some if not all of the aircraft on the ground in Toronto, that means being taken apart as a source of spare parts – which are otherwise hard to come by at this point – for the airframes currently flying. Air Tindi’s active Dash 7s include a mix of freighters and combi aircraft some of which stand out for wearing a striking red livery – a remnant of their previous life with Air Greenland.

A Versatile Workhorse: From Charters to a NASA Testbed

The smaller DHC-6 Twin Otter is the default aircraft on Air Tindi’s six scheduled routes connecting Yellowknife with Hay River and a number of isolated communities in the Northwest Territories.

As such, Air Tindi uses the Dash 7 primarily on charter flights in and out of Yellowknife. In particular, with the Northwest Territories having a thriving mining industry, Air Tindi’s Dash 7s often carry workers, equipment, and supplies in and out of the region’s mines.

When the demand asks for it, however, the Dash 7 is deployed on scheduled flights too. That typically happens when more cargo than the Twin Otter is capable of carrying or when something too large to fit through the Twin Otter’s doors needs to be transported. In an incredible feat back in 2022, Air Tindi even managed to load a Suzuki “kei” truck into the Dash 7’s cargo hold.

Occasionally, the Dash 7 substitutes for the Twin Otter due to increased passenger demand too. One such example was flights between Yellowknife and Hay River this May when Air Tindi was offering free tickets to Hay River residents returning home after having evacuated to Yellowknife due to forest fires.

Unfortunately, most of the equipment changes happen on relatively short notice and it is not possible to know in advance which flights will be operated by the Dash 7 making the aircraft difficult to fly on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Air Tindi I Northern Canada Flights (@flyairtindi)

In addition to operating the Dash 7 on charter flights and the occasional scheduled flight in and out of Yellowknife, Air Tindi currently also has a pair of Dash 7s operating on behalf of other airlines outside of the Northwest Territories. One of those is flying in Ontario and the other one is flying on behalf of Rise Air in Saskatchewan.

More interestingly, in April 2022, Air Tindi partnered with magniX (an aircraft electric propulsion unit manufacturer) and AeroTEC (a company integrating electric propulsion on aircraft) on magniX’s NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project. As part of the partnership, one of Air Tindi’s Dash 7s will have two of its four Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engines replaced by two magniX magni650 electric propulsion units.

The hybrid aircraft is expected to fly for the first time in 2025 after undergoing the necessary modifications in Moses Lake, Washington. Recently, one of the Dash 7s acquired from Trans Capital Air in 2021 (C-FJHQ) was ferried from Toronto to Yellowknife where it is undergoing maintenance in preparation for the project.

A Detailed Onboard Tour of an Air Tindi Dash 7 Combi

While in Yellowknife, I had a chance to tour – and fly on – Air Tindi’s Dash 7 Combi registered C-FWZV (fleet number 802). The aircraft was the 81st de Havilland Canada DHC-7 to come off the production line and was originally delivered to Papua New Guinea’s Air Niugini in 1982. It then spent about five years (1999-2004) with Canada’s Voyageur Airways before joining Air Tindi’s fleet.

In 2011, the aircraft was purchased by Tli Cho Air, a Tlicho Investment Corporation company, and leased to Air Tindi to help provide daily air service to the Tlicho communities of Whati, Wekweètì, and Gametì. The Tlicho are a Dene indigenous group of First Nations who have lived in the region for many generations.

Because of this, C-FWZV features Tli Cho Air’s logo under the cockpit on both sides of the fuselage in addition to the base Air Tindi livery.

Onboard, starting from the front of the aircraft, there was a cockpit accessible through the cargo compartment behind it and equipped with dozens of analog gauges.

What it distinct compared to the cockpits of other similar aircraft was, of course, that all engine-related controls and gauges including the thrust levers came in sets of four – one for each of the four engines on the aircraft. An old-school handset used for communicating with the cabin crew added to the cockpit’s charm.

Behind the cockpit was the main cargo compartment which could be loaded through the aircraft’s side cargo door but could be accessed from the passenger cabin behind it.

With this being a combi aircraft, the bulkhead panel separating the cargo compartment from the passenger cabin could be moved back and forth to adjust the balance between cargo and passenger capacity. For my flight, the partition was just past the middle of the overall cabin length.

When I saw the aircraft, there were roughly three pallets worth of cargo space and 18 seats in the passenger cabin. Other possible combinations include “all passenger” (46 seats), 34 seats + 1 cargo position, 26 seats + 2 cargo positions, 10 seats + 3.5 cargo positions, and “all cargo” which also includes 2 seats.

The 18 passenger seats on the aircraft consisted of four rows in a 2-2 layout and an extra pair of seats on the right side of the cabin’s very back. Like on most other aircraft, the bulkhead/emergency exit row offered the most legroom at the expense of lacking storage space under the seat in front.

The seatbacks were equipped with a seat pocket, a regular tray table, and a small drink table that could be opened without having to open the tray table itself.

Above the first row of seats and on the bulkhead wall were emergency exit, no smoking, and seatbelt signs.

Above each pair of seats was an overhead panel with individual air vents, reading lights, and a flight attendant call button. Relatively small overhead bins were available too. That said, there were no overhead bins in the cargo compartment – i.e. the overhead bins can be installed and removed depending on the aircraft’s configuration.

In addition to the passenger seats, there was also a cabin crew jumpseat right past the aircraft’s passenger door. Across from the jumpseat were a handset similar to the one in the cockpit and a panel for controlling cabin lights.

There was also a small lavatory at the very back of the passenger cabin. Interestingly, the toilet cover was square.

Lastly, behind the passenger cabin was a small, 240-cubic foot cargo compartment.

Experiencing an Air Tindi Dash 7 in Action

Considering how rare of an aircraft the Dash 7 is nowadays and the unpredictability of which scheduled flights it appears on, I would, of course, have been very happy taking any flight on the aircraft. I was even happier to hear, though, that I would have a chance to fly to Łutsel K’e – a small community of just over 300 people located about 120 miles to the east of Yellowknife.

The reason was simple. Flying to Łutsel K’e as opposed to, let’s say, Hay River or Fort Simpson meant we would be landing on and taking off from a gravel runway rather than an asphalt one. It also meant seeing Air Tindi in action in one of the communities that they are the only company offering a way in and out of.

Air Tindi Flight 202 from Yellowknife to Łutsel K’e

After checking in at Air Tindi’s terminal which is located right across the street from Buffalo Airways and separate from the airport’s main terminal, I had a chance to observe the Air Tindi team preparing our aircraft for the flight. Seeing them load the cargo hold with sheets of plywood, pallets of groceries and other essentials, and even an ATV made it clear why the flight was operated by the Dash 7 rather than the much smaller Twin Otter.

Boarding started about 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time of 5PM. With there being just three passengers including Kyle (my contact at Air Tindi) and myself on the outbound leg, boarding was quick. In addition to the three of us, there were also two flight attendants/loadmasters.

About ten minutes before departure, safety instructions were aired over the PA. In the seat pocket were a safety card and a copy of Up Here – a magazine covering topics related to the Canadian North.

The passenger door was closed soon after that and at 4:55PM, the four PT6 engines came to life one after another. We taxied out of our parking spot at 4:59PM – a minute ahead of our scheduled departure time. Just five minutes later, we took off from runway 10 – the shorter of Yellowknife Airport’s two runways.

Seconds after take-off, we were offered an excellent view of Buffalo Airways and Air Tindi ramps and hangars. With a Curtis C-46 Commando, a Lockheed Electra, and a de Havilland DHC-7 visible on the ground, it was hard to believe it was the year 2023. Another few seconds later, we were offered views of Yellowknife’s Old Town and the nature surrounding it.

For the remainder of the very short flight, I enjoyed the views and learned more about Air Tindi from Kyle. I was surprised to hear that the airline lands a Dash 7 on an ice runway they build in front of their float plane base in the Old Town every winter if the conditions allow for it and that they weren’t able to do so this year as the ice thawed quicker than expected.

As for the views, those are difficult to describe in words. It was a beautiful mix of forest, tundra, and countless lakes of all shapes and sizes – some completely thawed, some still frozen to one extent or another.

Service-wise, at some point after the seatbelt signs were briefly switched off, one of the flight attendants/loadmasters – wearing her flight attendant “hat” at that time – went around the cabin offering bottles of water.

In preparation for landing, the seatbelt signs were switched back on at 5:30PM – just 13 minutes after they were switched off.

As we descended, we flew over Stark Lake which was still completely covered with ice in its middle. That said, toward its edges the ice was thawing and breaking apart, and its shore was completely melted. What a sight!

We landed on Łutsel K’e Airport’s 3,003 feet long (or short…) gravel runway at 5:37PM.

Three minutes of taxiing later – five minutes ahead of schedule – we parked in front of the airport’s small terminal.

A Quick Turnaround in Łutsel K’e

As soon as the engines stopped and the passengers got off, the crew got into action – they had half a Dash 7 load of cargo to unload before loading and boarding the return flight. Everyone – the flight attendants/loadmasters, those on the ground in Łutsel K’e, and even the pilots – participated in the unloading and later loading of cargo.

First, the ATV was carefully unloaded with a forklift. Then, plywood sheets were taken out one by one. Lastly, the pallets with everything from flour and water through instant noodles and soda all the way to dishwashing liquid and reusable cloths were taken off the plane and loaded directly onto Łutsel K’e Co-op trucks that parked right next to the aircraft. Overseeing and helping with the unloading of the co-op inventory was the store’s owner, Joe.

During the turnaround, I was able to take a look inside Łutsel K’e Airport’s terminal too. It was equipped with a few benches and a check-in/gate counter – all that is really needed for an airport with one or two mostly Twin Otter-operated flights a day.

I also had a chance to chat briefly with one of the flight attendants/loadmasters who had a fascinating story. Originally from Vancouver, her dad was a pilot and she grew up to love aviation. That said, she never had a chance to work in the industry until joining Air Tindi which was the reason behind her move to Yellowknife.

Air Tindi Flight 202 from Łutsel K’e to Yellowknife

With most of the cargo being delivered from Yellowknife to Łutsel K’e rather than the other way around, there was only one thing to load into the hold – a snowmobile. “Bringing in an ATV and taking away a snowmobile – that must be the North Canadian equivalent of switching from winter to summer ‘tires,'” I thought.

The passenger cabin got considerably busier than on the previous flight, though. There were about ten passengers.

Once onboard, I settled in one of the right-hand side seats. We taxied out of our parking spot with a slight delay at 6:35PM and three minutes later we took off from runway 08 – i.e. from the same runway that we landed on but in the opposite direction.

This is common at relatively quiet airports where aircraft use the runway that minimizes taxiing when wind conditions allow for it. In Łutsel K’e, this means landing on runway 26 and taking off from runway 08 which is nearer to the terminal.

The flight itself was essentially the same as the previous flight.

That said, in addition to water, candies were handed out too. Plus, the views out of the window were arguably even more breathtaking due to it being later in the day and the sun getting lower.

At 36 minutes of flight time, the flight back took a few minutes longer than the flight to Łutsel K’e. Still, it went by way too fast and before I knew it, at 7:14PM, we landed in Yellowknife. Three minutes later, we arrived at our parking spot in front of Air Tindi’s terminal, bringing my very memorable Air Tindi Dash 7 experience to an end.

Summary

Nearly 50 years after its very first flight in 1975, the Dash 7 remains a unique aircraft with very few if any direct alternatives.

While the passenger demand on Air Tindi’s scheduled routes to communities around Yellowknife could be served by the Twin Otter, the Dash 7’s ability to use short, unpaved runways that the small airports in these communities have is crucial when it comes to getting bulky cargo – like a snowmobile or a “kei” truck – in and out of them.

As Air Tindi is committed to keeping the type in the air as long as possible – it even expanded its Dash 7 fleet considerably during the pandemic – the aircraft will continue to grace the Canadian skies for the foreseeable future.

With that, I would like to thank the Air Tindi team for arranging the opportunity to fly on the Dash 7 and see the airline doing what it does best – serving the remote communities of the Northwest Territories. For the latest Air Tindi-related content, make sure to check the airline’s Instagram and Facebook.

The post Air Tindi Dash 7s: Seeing the Canada-Made Workhorses in Action & Flying on One appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading this article to see what the flight on the Queen of the Skies was like, as well as to learn about the history of the 747 with Asiana Airlines.

Asiana Airlines and the Boeing 747

Being considerably younger than its former rival and (pending some more approvals) soon-to-be parent company Korean Air, Asiana Airlines never operated the classic 747 variants like the “-200.” Instead, the history of the Boeing 747 at Asiana Airlines started in 1991 with the “-400” variant. Given that, unlike Korean Air, Asiana Airlines does not operate the “-8,” the history of the Boeing 747 at Asiana Airlines not only started with the “-400” and its sub-variants but will also end with it.

According to Airfleets.net, the first Boeing 747-48E (with “8E” being Asiana Airlines’ Boeing customer code) was delivered to the airline in November 1991. The aircraft registered HL7413 is with the airline to this day, albeit as a freighter to which it was converted in 2007. Then, between 1992 and 1999, Asiana Airlines received eight more passenger 747-400s.

Of the nine passenger 747s that Asiana acquired directly from Boeing over the years, six were converted to freighters between 2007 and 2017. Five of the converted aircraft remain in service with Asiana Airlines to this day and one was sold to Western Global Airlines in 2021.

The three 747-48Es that were never converted to freighters include:

• HL7416 which was sold to Qantas in 1998
• HL7418 which was stored in 2019 and then scrapped
• HL7428 which is Asiana Airlines’ last active passenger 747

In addition to the (formerly) passenger 747s, Asiana received six 747 freighters directly from Boeing. Of those, three remain in service with the airline, two were sold to Air Atlanta Icelandic, and one was lost in a tragic accident in 2011.

Between 2010 and 2012, Asiana Airlines also acquired three 747 freighters second hand including two former JAL airframes and one Air New Zealand airframe; two of those remain in service.

With that, as of the time of writing this article, Asiana Airlines has a total of 11 Boeing 747-400s in service including ten freighters and one passenger aircraft.

A Brief History of HL7428, Asiana’s Last Passenger 747

As mentioned above, Asiana Airlines’ last remaining passenger Boeing 747 – a 747-48E – is registered HL7428.

After coming off the production line in Everett as line number 1160 (MSN 28552), the aircraft powered by four GE CF-6 engines took off for its first test flight on May 29, 1998. Later on, it was re-registered from its US test registration N6018N to its current South Korean registration and delivered to Asiana Airlines on June 18, 1999. It was, in fact, the last passenger 747 delivered to Asiana.

Originally painted in Asiana’s previous beige/brown livery, HL7428 was repainted into the airline’s current livery at the end of 2007. Asiana had the aircraft on lease from GECAS until 2005 when it bought the aircraft. In 2017, the aircraft was reconfigured from 359 seats (10 in first class, 45 in business, and 304 in economy) to the current 398 seats (10 in first class, 24 in business, and 364 in economy).

Throughout its nearly 25-year history, the aircraft could be regularly seen on flights from Seoul to far-away destinations like Los Angeles and Sydney. That said, it regularly operated within the region too, on flights to China and Japan among other places.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, the aircraft was parked in Seoul. While it was put back into service not long after being grounded, it remained very inactive. Most recently, it flew from Seoul to China once or twice per week and sat on the ground in Seoul the rest of the time. It also flew to Tokyo on two Saturdays in April (one of those flights is the one I took and talk about below).

For a good portion of May 2023, it is scheduled to come to Tokyo daily. What will happen with the aircraft after that remains to be seen.

OZ102 from Seoul to Tokyo: A Flight on Asiana’s Last 747

While I wasn’t originally planning to fly on the 747 from Seoul to Narita when it was first put into schedule, I couldn’t resist booking a flight when some award space opened a week before the second rotation.

Looking back, I am glad I decided to go – it’s not that easy to fly on the 747-400 these days!

Boarding at Incheon Airport

While I already had two boarding passes from the flight – one from Tokyo and one from Fukuoka – I still decided to stop by the check-in counters Asiana was using at Incheon’s terminal 1 and grab a boarding pass. You can never have enough 747 boarding passes, I guess!

I also rechecked the seat map to see if any seats worth changing to opened up but none did, so I stuck to my originally selected left-hand side window seat 53A.

With the boarding pass in my hand, I headed airside. All of the security check lanes were fairly crowded and so it took me about 40 minutes to clear security and immigration.

Airside, I first went to gate 28 to make sure the 747 was there. It sure was – and so were some aviation enthusiasts who were enjoying photos of it. Seeing a 747 parked at a gate never gets old!

As I hadn’t eaten breakfast before getting to the airport, I then briefly went to one of the Asiana Lounges. That said, I didn’t stay there for too long. About twenty minutes later, I returned to the gate to continue watching the 747 being prepared for the short flight to Tokyo.

I spent the rest of the time until boarding taking countless photos of the aircraft. With several other aviation enthusiasts lurking around the waiting area, I wasn’t the only one clicking away.

Also, I’m glad I went to the gate earlier than I usually would. Ten minutes or so before boarding was scheduled to start, a vehicle with a platform on an extending arm stopped in front of the aircraft. The arm extended and the staff standing on the platform started cleaning the cockpit windows – what a sight!

Perhaps the windows were a bit dusty considering the aircraft hadn’t flown in a week, since its previous Saturday’s flight to Narita and back.

Boarding started at 8:25AM – a bit more than half an hour before the 9AM scheduled departure time.

Onboard, I headed down the left aisle, past the stairs leading to the upper deck to my main deck seat 53A. Before reaching my seat, though, I stopped by the L2 door to get a photo of the wing and engines, and took some cabin photos.

Not long after I settled in my seat, a small child boarded and settled in a center section bulkhead seat together with his parents – how lucky for him to be flying on a 747!

Economy Class Cabin and Seats

The aircraft was equipped with 398 seats in three classes.

On the upper deck, there were 24 angle-flat business class seats in a single-aisle 2-2 layout. At the front of the main deck, there were 10 lie-flat first class seats in a 1-1 layout due to the pointy shape of the area. That said, row four also had a pair of seats in the middle for a 1-2-1 layout. The rest of the main deck consisted of economy class seats in a 3-4-3 layout.

Emergency exit row seats with extra legroom were available for reservation at an extra fee. Onboard, those seats were “blocked off” with “preferred” headrest covers and “extra payment required” stickers.

In the areas around the stairs leading to the upper deck and galleys, there were also some pairs of economy class seats without a middle seat.

Seating in the very back of the plane where the fuselage got narrower was in a 2-4-2 layout as well.

The entire interior of the aircraft from the overhead bins through the reading lights all the way to the overhead screens and lavatory occupancy indicators had a retro feel to it.

Each seat had access to an individual air vent.

The seat itself was comfortable and the legroom was good. I wouldn’t have minded sitting in it for half a day on a flight to the US or Europe.

In addition to a seat pocket and tray table, there were also an IFE screen and a coat hook on the seatback. In one of the armrests was an IFE controller. More about that later, though.

Departure from Incheon Airport

At 9AM, the cabin crew welcomed us onboard and five minutes later, the captain did so, mentioning that it was 15 degrees Celsius and rainy in Tokyo. “This is your captain speaking” sounds so much more exciting on a Boeing 747 than on any other airliner!

By the time the aircraft doors were closed at 9:18AM, the flight was almost entirely full. We were pushed back at 9:22AM – 22 minutes behind schedule – and the safety video was played. A few minutes later, the four engines were started one after another and we started taxiing to our departure runway, crossing runway 33L on the way.

Soon, we reached runway 33R from which we took off gracefully at 9:36AM.

During the climb out, we were offered some nice views of aircraft on the ground including some other 747s.

Economy Class Service

Seatbelt signs were switched off eight minutes after take-off. At that point, the cabin crew sprang into action, preparing the meal service. They started serving meals in my section another ten minutes or so later. Since I was just behind the large galley in the middle of the aircraft, it was just a couple of minutes later that I got my meal.

The meal consisted of a main – the same chicken that I was also served on my flight from Fukuoka to Seoul – and a box. Inside the box were a cup of water, a cup of mango compote, and a piece of packaged bread. For drink, I had orange juice.

While I didn’t eat the bread, I enjoyed the rest of the meal.

During the meal service, the crew was wearing nice flower-themed aprons. Those appeared to be available for purchase from the duty-free catalog too.

While cruising at 37,000 feet during the meal service, we hit some turbulence. The seatbelt signs went on and we climbed to 39,000 feet at which point the seatbelt signs were switched off. With that, the crew took the carts back out into the aisle to offer hot drinks and collect trash. The moment they stepped out of the galley, though, we hit another strong turbulence. As such, they secured the carts again for the next ten minutes or so.

The seatbelt signs stayed on for the rest of the flight but about ten minutes after we hit turbulence the second time, things got better and the crew finished the meal service.

In-Flight Entertainment

The seat was equipped with a screen that was showing its age – not only because of the button labels being almost gone but also because of the low resolution and extremely bad touch responsiveness.

The controller in the armrest was retro too. It was equipped not only with the standard IFE controls but – like all such controllers in the past – with a credit card reader, a QWERTY keyboard, and a Nintendo-style gaming pad. I loved it!

Simple headphones were available in the seat pocket upon boarding.

In terms of content, there were a couple dozen or so movies, some TV shows (although there were only two different shows, each with a few episodes), and some music. There were half a dozen games too.

While the IFE system had a “news on demand” section, that did not work.

I spent the flight watching the airshow. That’s where the age of the aircraft showed too – rather than having one of the more recent types of airshows that are customizable, there was an airshow channel that circulated between several “old school” views.

Arrival in Tokyo

While I was hoping the seatbelt signs would be switched off so that I could spend some time walking around the cabin, they stayed on for the remainder of the flight.

Instead, it became clear that the flight was coming to an end when at 10:49AM, just as we entered the airspace above Honshu, it was announced that duty-free sales would be closed. Eight minutes later, the pilots asked the cabin crew to prepare for landing.

Soon we descended into the clouds and could barely see anything until shortly before landing.

At 11:18AM, the landing gear was lowered and at 11:22AM, we landed on Narita airport’s very wet runway 16R.

We came to a full stop at gate 31 just a few minutes later, at 11:28AM. With that, the amazing flight on what used to be one of the most common widebody airliners and is now a very rare one came to an end eight minutes behind schedule. I wouldn’t have minded staying onboard for another few hours!

Unfortunately, though, the cabin crew (or the chief purser should I say) wasn’t too happy about aviation enthusiasts trying to hang around to get some photos of the different cabins, etc. Instead, we were ushered off the aircraft very fast.

With that, I stepped into the terminal and made my way to the immigration and customs, excited about having just flown on a 747-400 in 2023.

Not having to wait in long queues or show any COVID-related documents on the way outside was a nice bonus too!

Summary

Flying on a Boeing 747 – especially the 747-400 – is something that can’t be said no to in 2023. I am very happy to have done the quick trip to Seoul to catch this flight. From seeing the Queen of the Skies parked at the gate at Incheon airport through boarding it all the way to flying on it, it was an amazing experience.

While I wish I was able to explore the plane a bit more during or after the flight, that’s something I’ll have to do the next time I have a chance to fly it. With that, I hope Asiana keeps HL7428 flying for a long time to come!

The post All About Asiana 747s (& Flying on HL7428 – the Last Passenger One) appeared first on KN Aviation.

I was even more surprised when in January 2023, Solaseed Air announced that it would be painting one of its aircraft in a full-scale special livery for the first time. The aircraft, Nassy Jet Miyazaki featuring primarily the Pokemon Exeggutor, entered into service on March 2, 2023.

Luckily, I was able to be on Nassy Jet’s first two revenue flights. Continue reading to learn more about the aircraft and see what the flights were like.

Sorakoi Project and Nassy Resort in Miyazaki Jet

As mentioned in the introduction, the new Nassy Jet is Solaseed Air’s first full-scale special livery. That said, it is actually not the airline’s first Pokemon-themed aircraft. That title belongs to the now non-existent Nassy Resort in Miyazaki Jet which the airline operated as part of its Sorakoi Project.

Solaseed Air started the project in August 2012 to promote various destinations in Kyushu and Okinawa – the two regions its route network is focused on. As part of the Sorakoi Project, Solaseed Air decorates its aircraft with decals promoting these destinations and operates those liveries for about a year each.

With the Pokemon Exeggutor (Nassy in Japanese) having been named the “Pokemon that loves Miyazaki” and Solaseed Air being headquartered in Miyazaki in Kyushu, it only made sense for the two to partner up. The resulting Nassy Resort in Miyazaki Jet (Boeing 737-800 registered JA812X) entered into service on December 19, 2020, and operated its last flight on September 28, 2022.

On the outside, the aircraft featured Exeggutor decals on one side and Alolan Exeggutor decals on the other. It also had some additional Exeggutor-themed decals next to the doors. On the inside, it featured Exeggutor-themed headrest covers.

Nassy Jet Miyazaki: Solaseed Air’s First Full-Scale Special Livery

The concept of the new full-scale Nassy Jet special livery is basically the same as that of its not-as-eye-catching predecessor – to promote Miyazaki.

Solaseed Air ferried the 737-800 that would become the Nassy Jet (JA803X) to Naha in Okinawa on February 12, 2023. There, it was painted into the livery by MRO Japan which also did Air Do’s Rokon Jet livery for example. The aircraft was ferried back to Tokyo on March 1, 2023, the day before its inaugural flight.

While there are slight differences, both sides of Nassy Jet’s fuselage feature Solaseed Air’s signature green color together with sun/sea/flower motives. Both regular and Alolan Exeggutor (Nassy in Japanse) are featured prominently on both sides – the aircraft is dedicated to them after all. That said, a couple of other Pokemon including Alolan Raichu make an appearance too.

Four windows from which an Alolan Exeggutor and Raichu peek are painted on the bottom of the fuselage. Additionally, the aircraft’s main landing gear’s wheels and the outside of winglets feature Poké Balls.

On the inside, the left winglet features a couple of Exeggutors while the right winglet features an Alolan Exeggutor.

Nassy Jet Interior: It’s Not Just the Livery

As is common with full-scale special liveries in Japan, the theming that can be found on the aircraft’s exterior is reflected inside the aircraft as well, both in terms of hardware as well as service.

First of all, the seats’ headrest covers feature both an Exeggutor and an Alolan Exeggutor in a design similar to the livery itself. Unlike on some of the other special livery aircraft in Japan, all of the headrest covers on the aircraft are the same.

Additionally, the aircraft’s tray tables are decorated with Pokemon-themed stickers too.

The side visible when the tray table is closed features a sticker indicating the seat’s letter (e.g. “A” for seat 6A). With the 737 being in a 3-3 six abreast layout, there are six different types of stickers (A through F), each featuring a different Pokemon.

On the table side, a Poké Ball sticker is decorating the drink holder.

The last seat-related decoration can be found in rows 4 and 7. These rows feature special seat row indicators with an Alolan Exeggutor on the ABC-side and an Exeggutor on the DEF-side.

If you are wondering why these two rows and not others on the plane, it’s because of Exeggutor’s Japanese name, Nassy sounds like 7-4 in Japanese (“Na” for “nana” and “ssy” for “shi”).

In addition to the above, on the lavatory mirrors, there are also stickers of an Alolan Raichu washing hands with an Exeggutor standing in the background. While I only visited one of the lavatories, I assume the stickers are the same in each of them.

In terms of service, drinks onboard Nassy Jet are served in special cups featuring three aircraft windows out of which Exeggutor, Alolan Exeggutor, and Alolan Raichu are looking out. To round up the experience, the cabin crew wears Pokemon-themed aprons during drink service.

Lastly, passengers flying on the aircraft can also get Exeggutor-themed postcards and boarding certificates.

Flying Onboard Nassy Jet’s First Two Flights

On March 2, 2023, the first day of its operation, Nassy Jet was deployed on six flights: Tokyo Haneda – Miyazaki – Naha – Kobe – Naha – Miyazaki – Tokyo Haneda. As mentioned in the introduction, I flew on the first two flights:

• Tokyo Haneda to Miyazaki which was the livery’s actual first revenue flight
• Miyazaki to Naha which was the livery’s second revenue flight but the official inaugural flight due to Solaseed Air being headquartered in Miyazaki

Going forward, it appears that for some dates, Solaseed Air will publish Nassy Jet’s schedule here while for others the schedule will not be published in advance.

The First Revenue Flight (Solaseed Air Flight 51 from Tokyo to Miyazaki)

With the official inaugural flight being the second revenue flight, no event was held at Haneda prior to the departure of the flight to Miyazaki.

That said, there was a Pokemon-themed frame around the boarding pass scanner at gate 54 where the flight departed from. The same frame was also at the departure gate in Miyazaki. I’m not sure whether it can also be found at other gates.

At the aircraft door, in addition to being greeted by the cabin crew, passengers were also “greeted” by a pair of Exeggutor stuffed toys.

Even after everyone was settled in their seats, the cabin remained fairly empty. With the flight being on a weekday, there were also relatively few aviation (or Pokemon for that matter) enthusiasts onboard.

Prior to our pushback at 6:53AM – three minutes behind schedule – one of the flight attendants made a welcome announcement. Besides the usual things like introducing the crew and mentioning our flight time would be 1 hour and 31 minutes, she also mentioned that we would be flying together with “Nassy, the Pokemon that loves Miyazaki.”

During taxi, JAL’s Disney Jet was visible in the distance making its way to the departure runway. We took off from runway 16R at 7:04AM.

Once the seatbelt signs were switched off about 12 minutes after take-off, the cabin crew started preparing for the drink service. Green tea, coffee, apple juice, and soup were offered; I had the latter two.

The rest of the flight, I spent taking photos, chatting with a friend that I was traveling with, and just enjoying the flight.

At one point, one of the pilots also made an announcement mentioning we were flying at 24,000 feet and were expecting to arrive five minutes early, at 8:35AM. He also mentioned that it was Nassy Jet’s first day in service and that because of that Nassy didn’t know the flight route and so needed help from the cockpit crew.

The pilot also said that the latest evolution of Nassy, i.e. the Nassy Jet itself, was capable of flying at an altitude of up to 40,000 feet.

Later on, another announcement was made from the flight deck. This time, the pilot mentioned that there was a large Nassy in the Miyazaki airport terminal and that there are Pokemon-themed manhole covers (“pokefuta”) around Miyazaki.

The seatbelt signs were turned back on at 8:17AM and at 8:31AM, we landed on runway 27. At that point, another announcement was made saying that gift bags and boarding certificates would be handed out after deboarding.

We came to a full stop at gate 8 at 8:33AM, seven minutes ahead of schedule. Soon after, I got off the aircraft – not for too long, though – and got my gift bag (more about its contents later on) from one of the Solaseed Air staff members.

The Official Inaugural (Solaseed Air Flight 67 from Miyazaki to Naha)

By the time I got into the terminal, the inaugural ceremony was nearing its end at gate 8. In addition to an Exeggutor and a couple of Solaseed Air flight attendants, Hiroshi Takahashi, the airline’s CEO, and a few other guests were present.

A ribbon cutting ceremony and a photo session were held after speeches from the guests were over (I arrived just as the last one, the CEO’s was ending).

With a bit less than 30 minutes to spare after the inaugural ceremony was over, I decided to go airside to see the Pokemon-themed decorations in the terminal. The one that stood out the most was an Alolan Exeggutor “balloon” in the terminal’s atrium that the pilot mentioned in his announcement.

There was also an Alolan Exeggutor photo stand-in right across from the “balloon.”

Back airside, I got a few photos of Nassy Jet through the terminal’s windows. By this time, the Exeggutor that was participating in the inaugural ceremony was walking outside on the apron, posing for photos.

Then, I boarded Nassy Jet’s second flight and its official inaugural, flight 6J67 to Naha in Okinawa. During boarding, Solaseed Air staff was once again handing out gift bags. Onboard, I was welcomed by the same crew that operated the flight from Tokyo to Miyazaki and then continued on to Kobe from Naha.

We were pushed back at 9:14AM – one minute ahead of schedule. As we taxied out of the apron, we were sent off by the Exeggutor as well as quite a few people both on the apron (media, staff, etc.) and on the airport’s observation deck.

Not long after that, we reached runway 27 end and took off bound for Naha at 9:23AM. While climbing out, we were offered great views of Miyazaki.

While this was the official inauguration of the aircraft, the flight was relatively uneventful compared to the actual first flight. Seatbelt signs were switched off about ten minutes after take-off at which point drinks were served.

About half an hour into the flight, the captain made an announcement that we were expecting an on-time arrival at Naha airport where it was 18 degrees Celsius and cloudy.

Considering that the flight was quite uneventful, I used the time to get some of the photos shown in the first half of this article as well as to go through the gift bags.

Both the one I received as part of the flight to Miyazaki and the one I received before the flight to Naha included a boarding certificate, a document folder with the same design as the postcard shown earlier on one side and a Nassy Jet logo on the other, a sticker with the same logo, and a Miyazaki tourist map. The official inaugural flight’s gift bag also included a pack of “gobochi” (burdock chips).

It’s also worth noting that the boarding certificate was a special “holo” version exclusive to Nassy Jet’s first day in operation. From the next day onward, they were replaced by regular non-holo certificates.

Seatbelt signs were switched back on at 10:26AM and at 10:47AM, we landed on Naha airport’s runway 36L. We reached our parking spot at 10:53AM – two minutes ahead of schedule.

After landing and after parking at the arrival gate, the standard announcements were made supplemented by announcements related to the special livery.

Once most of the passengers got off, I (as well as a couple of other aviation enthusiasts) spent some time taking photos of the cabin and the crew.

Then, I got off and stepped into the terminal. Not for too long, though, as I decided to reschedule my flight to an earlier one and head straight back to Tokyo after just an hour instead of two hours in Naha.

Summary

Being both an aviation enthusiast and a Pokemon fan, there are very few aviation-related things that make me happier than seeing new Pokemon-themed aircraft enter into service. While the recent generation of Pokemon Jets will never be able to replace the original ANA ones, they are still a very welcome sight in Japan’s and other countries’ skies.

After having had a chance to fly on the unofficial last flight of ANA’s Pokemon Peace Jet, Air Do’s Rokon Jet last flight, and Skymark Airlines’ Pikachu Jet BC2’s inaugural, I am happy to have been able to be onboard Solaseed Air’s Nassy Jet’s first two flights as well.

The post Nassy Jet: Flying on Solaseed Air’s New Pokemon Jet on Its First Day appeared first on KN Aviation.

While I haven’t flown on the first two Demon Slayer Jets that ANA introduced, I had a chance to be on the third such aircraft’s inaugural. Continue reading to learn more about the series of special livery aircraft as well as about what the third Demon Slayer Jet’s inaugural was like.

ANA’s Collaboration with Demon Slayer

ANA announced its plans to collaborate with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, one of the best-selling anime and manga franchises of all time, in November 2021. The partnership started in January 2022 and had ANA make the anime available on its in-flight entertainment system.

More interestingly for aviation and Demon Slayer enthusiasts, though, the collaboration also resulted in aircraft in special liveries.

So far, three of them have been put into service. All three of the aircraft operate on domestic flights around Japan. While the third aircraft will operate on a fixed schedule until mid-October 2022, in general, the Demon Slayer Jets’ schedules are not announced in advance.

Demon Slayer Jet One

The first aircraft that ANA decorated with Demon Slayer decals was a Boeing 767-300ER registered JA616A. The aircraft’s first scheduled flight as Demon Slayer Jet One took place on January 31, 2022, when it operated flight NH241 from Tokyo Haneda to Fukuoka. A day before that, it operated a joyride from Tokyo Narita airport.

On its starboard side, the aircraft features the anime’s main character, Tanjiro Kamado. On the port side, Tanjiro Kamado can be found alongside other characters including Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Inosuke Hashibira. The aircraft’s tail is in ANA’s regular Triton Blue livery.

Demon Slayer Jet Two

The second Demon Slayer Jet livery is worn by another Boeing 767-300ER, JA608A. The aircraft wearing the special livery first appeared on a scheduled flight on March 26, 2022, flying from Tokyo Haneda to Hiroshima as flight NH671. Just like Demon Slayer Jet One, the second Demon Slayer aircraft debuted on a joyride out of Narita the day before.

Both sides of the second Demon Slayer Jet’s fuselage feature the Hashira (Pillars) – nine of the Demon Slayer Corps’ most powerful members including Giyu Tomioka (Water Pillar), Mitsuri Kanroji (Love Pillar), Obanai Iguro (Serpent Pillar), Sanemi Shinazugawa (Wind Pillar), Gyomei Himejima (Stone Pillar), Tengen Uzui (Sound Pillar), Kyojuro Rengoku (Flame Pillar), Shinobu Kocho (Insect Pillar), and Muichiro Tokito (Mist Pillar).

The second jet’s tail is in ANA’s regular livery just like the first one’s.

Demon Slayer Jet Three

For the third and so far last Demon Slayer livery, ANA decided to go bigger and use a Boeing 777-200ER registered JA745A. Continuing with the tradition, a day before being put into regular service on October 3, 2022, the aircraft operated a joyride out of Narita. Its first regularly scheduled flight was NH241 from Tokyo Haneda to Fukuoka.

The aircraft features illustrations made specifically for ANA. On the aircraft’s port side, the main character Tanjiro Kamado and the Sound Pillar Tengen Uzui can be found. On the starboard side, Tanjiro Kamado is joined by the Flame Pillar Kyojuro Rengoku.

Unlike the first two Demon Slayer Jets, the third Demon Slayer Jet’s tail is white. Also, instead of the Demon Slayer logo being part of the fuselage livery, the third jet features the logo on its engines.

Flying on the Third Demon Slayer Jet’s Inaugural

While I haven’t flown on the first two Demon Slayer Jets yet, I had a chance to fly on the first scheduled flight of the third jet. Doing so allowed me to not only see the liveries from the outside but also experience the Demon Slayer-themed onboard service.

Demon Slayer Jet Line-Up and Boarding

As I saw a post on Twitter mentioning that all three of the Demon Slayer Jets were parked next to each other at gates 63, 64, and 65, after arriving at the airport, I briefly headed to the observation deck to get a photo or two.

While getting a good photo was difficult, it was still great to see the unusual lineup.

Clearing security was a breeze as I was able to use the Star Alliance Gold lane. Airside, I headed straight to gate 63 where the flight was departing from.

Outside, the Demon Slayer Jet was being prepared for its first scheduled flight. Inside, ANA staff was busy setting up cardboard panels of Demon Slayer characters wearing ANA uniforms and a model of the aircraft. The flight information displays at the gate were, in addition to the regular flight information, also showing an illustration of the special livery.

As usual, many of the passengers were taking photos of all of the above while waiting for boarding to start. That said, this being a Monday morning flight on a major route, there were also quite a few business people who were most likely wondering what all the fuzz was about.

Around 7:10AM, boarding started. Passengers requiring assistance were invited first, followed by ANA Diamond members. Star Alliance Gold and Premium Class passengers followed. When the boarding announcement was made, the gate agent also mentioned that there would be special Demon Slayer Jet onboard the flight.

Along the way to the aircraft, ANA staff was handing out Demon Slayer-themed notebooks – a gift for those traveling on the aircraft on its first day of scheduled service.

Outside, ANA staff holding a Demon Slayer-themed banner was sending passengers off.

Just as we were boarding, the first Demon Slayer Jet was being pushed back prior to its departure to Osaka. That gave me a chance to get one more photo of the three aircraft side-by-side before walking down the jetway and getting onboard.

Departing Haneda Onboard Demon Slayer Jet Three

Once onboard, I settled in my seat 26C, one of the 364 economy class seats on the plane. The seats featured special headrest covers with the anime’s characters. It’s worth noting that the covers were different from those used on the first two Demon Slayer Jets.

It’s also worth noting that the 28 Premium Class seats on the plane lacked any sort of Demon Slayer-theming.

The aircraft’s doors were closed or, as ANA says, the “slide bar was set” at 7:26AM. We were pushed back at 7:30AM, five minutes behind schedule.

As we started taxiing, we were sent off by more ground staff than usual as well as media covering the event. The ground staff was holding a banner and a model of the Demon Slayer Jet.

Around 7:40AM, one of the cabin crew members thanked us for joining the flight and said that the Demon Slayer Jet Three “members” wanted to greet us. That was followed by a pre-recorded message structured as a conversation among the anime characters which started as something along the lines of the below:

“Kamado, is boarding going smoothly?”

“Yes, Rengoku, we’re ready.”

“Uzui, how about you?”

“All’s good to go here too.”

“Thank you!”

“No big deal.”

Not long after that announcement was made, at 7:41AM, we took off from runway 34R.

Demon Slayer-Themed Onboard Service

About five minutes after take-off, the cabin crew made an announcement saying that we were expecting an on-time arrival and that tray tables and seat reclining could be used now. At 7:50AM, the seatbelt signs were switched off.

Not long after that, the drink service started with the cabin crew wearing aprons designed for use onboard the third Demon Slayer Jet. I decided to get a cup of apple juice. Since cups with Demon Slayer design are used on the special livery aircraft, I asked for an empty cup to take home with me. Together with that, I also got a pack of Demon Slayer Menko cards.

The packs are available only on the Demon Slayer Jets. Each pack contains two cards and there are 18 different cards to collect.

Around 8:10AM, the captain welcomed us onboard. He mentioned that we were overflying Nagoya at 40,000 feet and thanked us for flying on the Demon Slayer Jet.

He also explained that ANA’s 777s have been grounded for a while due to an engine trouble a United Airlines plane encountered (I found it interesting that he actually named the airline) and that he is happy to be able to be the pilot of the Demon Slayer Jet’s inaugural flight.

For the rest of the flight, I mostly relaxed and watched Top Gun: Maverick on the in-flight entertainment system. It’s worth noting that all seven episodes of Demon Slayer’s Mugen Train Arc and all eleven episodes of its Entertainment District Arc were available too.

At some point, I also paid a visit to the lavatory. On my way there, I noticed that the cabin crew was filling out flight certificates (in the form of a nice sticker). As such, if I could get one or two and got another pack of Menko cards together with the certificates.

The Third Demon Slayer Jet’s First Arrival in Fukuoka

We started our descent at 8:51AM and three minutes later, the seatbelt signs were switched back on.

The pilots lowered the landing gear at 9:07AM and at 9:10AM we landed on Fukuoka airport’s runway 16. While making our way to the terminal, the cabin crew announced that the Demon Slayer Jet Three members had a message for us. Once again, this was done in the form of a conversation between the characters, this time Tanjiro Kamado and Tengen Uzui.

We reached our parking gate, gate 8, at 9:17AM, three minutes ahead of schedule. While disembarking, I got one more flight certificate.

Inside the terminal, I headed up to the airport’s observation deck to get some photos of the Demon Slayer Jet departing back to Tokyo among other aircraft. Just like during the departure from Tokyo, the aircraft received a send-off from the Fukuoka ground staff.

Summary

All in all, I am nowhere near as excited about these jets as I am about Skymark’s Pokemon Jets or JAL’s Disney Jets. That is just because of my personal relationship with those franchises, though. As an aviation enthusiast, I am still happy to be able to enjoy the Demon Slayer special liveries when spending time at airports around Japan.

Additionally, joining the inaugural flight of the third Demon Slayer Jet was, as usual with this type of flights, a nice change from the regular “non-event” flights that make up most of my flying.

The post ANA’s Demon Slayer Jets: All You Need to Know & Flying on the Third Jet’s Inaugural appeared first on KN Aviation.

Unlike other airlines which simply sent their A380s to storage, however, ANA kept them at Narita airport and found some creative alternative uses for them.

Those included:

• Holding “Restaurant Flying Honu” events which allowed aviation enthusiasts to enjoy an onboard meal while sitting in the A380 on the ground
• Organizing A380 joyrides out of Tokyo Narita and some other domestic airports
• Offering packaged tours to Sapporo and Okinawa which included domestic flights on the A380
• Using the A380s as a wedding photo backdrop

Initially, the demand for the joyrides exceeded the supply and so passengers were selected through lotteries. After not being selected a couple of times, I was able to secure a seat twice in a row earlier this year. However, other commitments prevented me from joining either of those flights.

As such, I was really happy when a joyride that one could simply purchase a ticket for without having to be selected was announced for a date that worked for me. I booked the flight immediately – here’s what it was like.

An Organized and Smooth Check-in Process

With at least 250 passengers being required for the flight to go ahead, I was happy to see an email from ANA a bit less than two weeks before departure confirming that the flight would indeed be happening. In the same email, specific check-in time slots were provided for the different types of seats:

• 10:00 – 10:30 economy class window seats
• 10:35 – 11:00 economy class aisle seats and premium economy class seats
• 11:05 – 11:30 business class and first class seats

On the day of the flight, shortly before 10:00AM, people started gathering around ANA’s domestic check-in counters in Narita airport’s Terminal 1 South Wing. Those that had economy class window seat tickets were asked to line up while those with other types of seats were asked to wait elsewhere.

While waiting for check-in, many were taking photos of a screen that showed a couple of different graphics promoting the flight. The first group’s check-in started exactly on time.

With no bags to check in and all boarding passes printed and lined up on tables, the check-in process was very smooth. My group’s check-in started five minutes early, at 10:30AM, and in no time, I had a Flying Honu-themed boarding pass in my hands.

Additionally, I got a voucher with an onboard wi-fi access code and a document explaining COVID-19 safety precautions on one side and a raffle that would be taking place onboard on the other.

Getting Flying Honu Goods and Waiting for Boarding

After getting my boarding pass, I headed one floor up to the domestic departures security check. Before heading down a long aisle to the checkpoint, I spent some time looking at one of the flight information displays to soak in the fact that I would be flying on an A380 from Narita to Narita.

The aisle was lined with a few tables on one side. At those tables, separated by travel class, ANA staff was handing out gift bags full of Flying Honu-themed items. They were also handing out models and other items to those passengers who purchased them together with their tickets.

As for the gift bag contents, all passengers got a boarding certificate, a hand sanitizer gel bottle, a flight tag, and a reusable bag. There were additional items provided based on the class of travel too:

• Premium economy class: another bag
• Business class: Fred Segal amenity kit
• First class: leather tray, Globe Trotter amenity kit, face towel, charging cable

Additionally, children also received a small Flying Honu turtle-shaped backpack.

The security check itself was quick, and in no time, I found myself in the waiting area which consisted of eight bus gates and a couple of shops.

Initially, there was no indication as to which gate our flight would depart from. Just before 11:40AM, however, staff arrived at gates B and C, and soon after that, the screens started showing our flight’s information. At that point, many of the passengers stood up and started taking photos of/with the screens.

A few minutes after that, an announcement was made that boarding would start at noon.

It’s Kai! Boarding ANA’s Second A380 by Bus

Boarding started at noon as promised. First, passengers requiring assistance and those traveling with children were invited to board. Then, premium economy class passengers followed, and so I handed my boarding pass to the gate agent and got on the bus.

After a short ride, two of ANA’s A380 came into sight – the first one (nicknamed Lani, registration JA381A) and the second one (Kai, JA382A). At this point, it was still not clear which of the two we would be flying on. Eventually, however, we stopped in front of Kai.

ANA’s third A380 (Ka La, JA383A) was parked in the distance.

For a few minutes after getting off the bus, we could wander around a coned-off area to see the aircraft up close and take some photos. It was a great opportunity to take in the sheer size of the A380. It was also nice to be able to see some other aircraft taxiing by.

With the next bus approaching, however, we were soon asked to get onboard the aircraft.

While I boarded 747 flights by bus/stairs before, it was my first time to do so with the A380.

Four Classes Across Two Decks

Onboard, I was welcomed by one of the flight attendants and by the massive front staircase. Instead of going to the second deck where my seat was, however, I decided to walk through the entire main deck first.

Just like with ANA’s two other A380s, the aircraft’s main deck consisted of four economy class cabins with a total of 383 seats in a 3-4-3 layout. With ANA dedicating its A380s to its flights to Hawaii, some of the bulkheads were blue sky- and sea-themed.

The last six rows of economy class consisted of ANA COUCHii seats which could be converted into beds.

At the very back of the main deck were a galley and a smaller staircase which I used to get to the upper deck where my seat was located.

The upper deck had 8 first class seat in a 1-2-1 layout at the very front, followed by 56 business class seats in a 1-2-1 staggered  layout in the middle, and 73 premium economy class seats in a 2-3-2 layout at the very back.

In total, across the two decks, the aircraft was equipped with 520 seats.

While I won’t go into the details of the premium economy class seat here (I’ll save that for a proper scheduled flight review at some point in the future), it’s worth noting that:

• The seat was very comfortable and offered plenty of space
• The screen was very large – in fact, being 15.6 inches, it is the largest premium economy class screen in the world according to ANA

Departing Narita Airport Bound for Narita Airport

Upon getting to my seat, 29G, I was surprised to find that in spite of it being just a 90-minute sightseeing flight, there was a blanket waiting on the seat. Headphones and slippers were waiting in the seat pocket too.

Other than that, there were a Hawaii-themed safety card and a waste bag in the seat pocket.

Not long after I settled in my seat, one of the flight attendants came through the cabin offering disinfecting wipes.

The aircraft doors were closed at 12:47PM at which point we were ready to go. We were pushed back at 12:52PM – eight minutes ahead of schedule – at which point a welcome announcement was made.

The flight attendant doing the announcement introduced the cockpit crew and mentioned that there were 20 cabin crew members onboard. She also told the passengers to “enjoy the Hawaiian mood with Kai.”

The safety video which ended with a scene in which the three turtles representing each of ANA’s A380s posed in front of ANA’s first A380 was played.

While taxiing to our departure runway, one of the pilots welcomed us onboard too. He mentioned that we would be flying on JA382A and that we were expecting a flight time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. He ended the announcement with a “Mahalo.”

We took off from runway 16R at 1:11PM. Even though I wasn’t in a window seat, I was able to watch the take-off on the IFE screen using one of the onboard cameras.

It’s worth noting that throughout the climb, the storage compartment next to the seat of the passenger sitting in my row’s right-hand side window seat kept opening. To prevent that later on during our descent, the passenger was handed a piece of tape by the cabin crew.

Is there anything that tape can’t fix?!

A Light Meal Based on ANA’s Tokyo – Hawaii Flight Meals

Less than ten minutes after take-off, one of the flight attendants made an announcement saying that the seatbelt signs would stay on for some more time but that it was OK at that point to use seat reclining. She also mentioned that once the seatbelt signs would be switched off, drinks and light meal service would be done followed by an in-flight raffle.

At 1:23PM, the seatbelt signs were switched off and the meal service started about 15 minutes later. In the meantime, I looked inside the giveaway bag and paid a quick visit to the lavatory.

I also tried connecting to the onboard wi-fi. That said, whether due to everyone having a free access code or for some other reason, I was unable to connect to the wi-fi at any point during the flight.

While waiting for my meal, another announcement was made from the cockpit too. One of the pilots mentioned that we would be passing over Yamagata soon. He also said that it was 33 degrees Celsius and sunny at Narita airport where we would be landing on time.

Given the theme of the flight, the pilot then went on to say that the local time in Honolulu was 6:40PM and that it was 27 degrees Celsius there.

I got my meal at 1:45PM, a bit more than 30 minutes after we took off.

The tray included a tandoori chicken sandwich, some cut fruits, and strawberry yogurt. Cold drinks offered on the flight included beer, mojito, apple juice, green tea, and water. Hot drinks included green tea and coffee. I went with apple juice.

While the meal was nothing to write home about, the sandwich tasted good and it was nice to eat onboard the A380 instead of on the ground.

In case you are wondering, the meal was meant to be similar to what passengers would get as a light meal on ANA’s Tokyo – Honolulu flights. In business class and first class, passengers were instead served ANA’s domestic first class (Premium Class) meal.

By the time I finished my meal, we were flying over Iwate and making a right turn to set our course back toward Narita. Around the same time, one of the flight attendants came to clear my tray and she also asked whether I wanted any hot drink.

I decided to get green tea which came in an ANA HAWAii cup.

A few minutes later, another flight attendant came to take the empty tea cup. She also offered me another drink which I politely declined.

Onboard Raffle with Flying Honu-Themed Prizes

Around 2:10PM, the onboard raffle in which passengers could win Flying Honu/Hawaii-themed prizes was held. The prizes were as follows:

• 1st “Lani” prize (3 people): 10,000 yen ANA travel voucher
• 2nd “Kai” prize (3 people): a set of ANA HAWAii items including a bag, bottle, baggage tag, etc.
• 3rd “La” prize (5 people): baggage tag

Every time the raffle host (who was located at the front of the main deck) announced a winner, people clapped. Unfortunately, I wasn’t among those whose seat number was picked. That said, congratulations to the passengers sitting in seats:

• 1st “Lani” prize: 17E (business), 52E (economy), 74J (economy)
• 2nd “Kai” prize: 7A (business), 24D (premium economy), 62F (economy)
• 3rd “La” prize: 1D (first), 9F (business), 12H (business), 21F (premium economy), 37K (economy)

While I am not sure what the load was like in economy class, it was interesting to see that 7 out of the 11 winners were in one of the premium classes on the upper deck.

Landing Back Where We Took Off From

By the time the raffle was done, we were a bit less than 40 minutes away from Narita.

At that time, one of the flight attendants made an announcement saying that we would be starting our descent in about 10 minutes. She also said that the cabin lights would be turning into rainbow colors since Hawaii is the Rainbow State. She talked about there being a “no rain no rainbow” saying too.

As soon as the cabin ceiling became colorful, people started taking out their phones and cameras.

Around 2:30PM, the crew went around the cabin handing out candies and chatting with the passengers, asking them how they enjoyed the flight.

Two minutes later, seatbelt signs were switched back on.

We landed on Narita’s runway 16R – the same one we took off from – at 2:45PM.

A short taxi followed, and we reached our remote parking spot at 2:56PM. This time, instead of parking to the left of JA381A, we parked on its right.

While at this point, the flight was over, the Flying Honu experience still continued.

Getting Off “Kai” and Photographing “Lani”

Deboarding was done by groups of seats to avoid congestion. Once my group of seats was called, I took my backpack and headed down the aisle through business and first class toward the front of the plane.

Along the way, there was a screen showing a “Welcome to Hawaii” graphic. Toys of the three turtles representing the three A380s were displayed in one of the galleys too.

Once at the very front of the upper deck, I walked down the large staircase onto the main deck.

The first thing I noticed after exiting the plane through its L1 door and heading down the stairs onto the apron was the captain waving to passengers through the cockpit window.

Then, I spent some time taking photos of the first ANA A380 – JA381A – as well as some other traffic taxiing by.

Unfortunately, way too soon, it was time to get on a bus to the terminal, bringing the enjoyable ANA A380 charter flight experience to an end.

Summary

Luckily, the demand for international travel in and out of Japan is starting to come back and so the A380 has been put back on the Honolulu route on some days. That said, chances are that ANA will still keep offering its unique A380 experiences for quite some time until the Narita – Honolulu demand is fully recovered.

I’m glad I took the joyride – it was great seeing people young and old, traveling on their own and with their families enjoying an afternoon filled with aviation. The flight was enjoyable and so was the time spent on the ground.

That said, I hope to fly on the aircraft again soon, this time reviewing it on a proper scheduled route.

The post Flying Honu Joyride: Trying Out ANA A380’s Premium Economy in a Fun Way appeared first on KN Aviation.

And, sure enough, they returned in 2021 as part of Pokemon’s 25th anniversary celebrations. First, Skymark Airlines introduced its Pikachu Jet. Not long after, Air Do followed with its Vulpix-themed Rokon Jet. Finally, earlier this year, Skymark announced that it would be introducing another Pikachu Jet to the world.

As soon as the inaugural date and flight were known, I booked myself a ticket. With that, at the end of last month, I had a chance to be one of the first passengers to fly on the aircraft in the new Pikachu Jet BC2 livery.

Below, you can learn more about both of Skymark’s Pikachu Jets as well as see what the second one’s inaugural was like.

Pokemon Air Adventures: An Effort to Promote Okinawa

On June 21, 2021, The Pokemon Company launched Pokemon Air Adventures, a project aimed at supporting the post-pandemic recovery of the air travel and tourism industry with, to begin with, a particular focus on Okinawa in Japan.

The centerpiece of the project are Flying Pikachu (a Pikachu with balloons strapped around his waist) and other Pokemon which can be found on monorail cars, buses, and even manhole covers in Okinawa. For aviation enthusiasts, however, the most exciting part of the project is aircraft wearing special Pokemon-themed liveries.

Currently, there are two – Pikachu Jet BC1 and BC2, both of which are operated by Skymark Airlines on domestic flights around Japan (their upcoming schedules can be found here). Since the project’s website says “we’re in the midst of creating more unique Pikachu Jets in other countries and regions worldwide,” there should be more coming in the future, though.

Skymark Airlines’ Pikachu Jets

The Pikachu Jet experience starts on the ground. Among other things, all Skymark’s self-check-in machine screens, boarding passes, priority/fragile luggage tags, and unaccompanied minor straps feature the theme.

At Naha airport in Okinawa, the main target area of the project, the airline went even further. There, Skymark check-in counters have Pikachu and the first Pikachu Jet all over them, and some of the ground handling vehicles feature Pokemon too.

As for the aircraft themselves, in addition to the special liveries on their exterior, the two Pikachu Jets also sport Pokemon-themed interiors. The onboard service is Pokemon-themed too. Flight attendants wear a variety of different Pokemon aprons, Pikachu makes appearances in onboard announcements, and items exclusive to the two Pokemon aircraft can be bought on board.

Drinks are served in Pikachu cups and passengers are offered Kit Kats featuring the two jets on their cover. That said, the cups and Kit Kats can be found on non-Pikachu Jet-operated Skymark flights too.

I talk more about the interior and onboard service in my report about the second Pikachu Jet’s inaugural flight further down in this article. Before that, let’s take a closer look at the two Pikachu Jets, though.

Pikachu Jet BC1

The first Pikachu Jet livery is worn by Skymark Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 registered JA73AB. The bright yellow livery features ten Flying Pikachus on its fuselage, five on each side. Additionally, there are Pikachus peeking out of the first two windows on the aircraft’s right side and even some on its belly. PokeBalls can be found on the aircraft’s engines.

After being repainted from a standard Skymark livery into the Pikachu Jet BC1 in Taipei, the aircraft was ferried back to Tokyo Haneda on June 16, 2021, as flight BC8028. Its first scheduled flight was BC519 from Tokyo Haneda to Naha on June 21, 2021.

Pikachu Jet BC2

Unlike the first Pikachu Jet, the Pikachu Jet BC2 features Pokemon other than Flying Pikachu too. It features an almost “life-size” Wailord, Magikarp, and Corsola among others. In addition to PokeBall decals on its engines, there are also Pikachu decals on the aircraft’s winglets.

The Pikachu Jet BC2 was painted into the special livery in Taipei and ferried back to Tokyo Haneda on May 28, 2022, as flight BC8014. It was put into scheduled service just a couple of days later, on May 30, 2022, on the same flight as the Pikachu Jet BC1 – BC519 from Haneda to Naha.

Flying on Skymark Pikachu Jet BC2’s Inaugural

As mentioned earlier, I was fortunate enough to be on the inaugural flight, so continue reading to see what the flight was like and to learn more about the aircraft.

Check-in and Boarding

On the day of the inaugural flight, I got to Haneda airport about two hours before the 3:35PM scheduled departure time. I got my boarding pass from one of the self-check-in kiosks and headed through security. With there being no lines, the entire process was a breeze.

It’s worth noting that while the check-in counters didn’t feature a Pokemon design, the screen on the self-check-in kiosk and the paper timetables available for passengers to take did. Of course, the boarding pass featured Pikachu too.

There were also Pokemon vending machines – presumably, those had nothing to do with Skymark, though.

Airside, I headed to gate 19 where the flight was scheduled to depart from. Around 2PM, a different Skymark flight departed from the gate, and fifteen minutes later, the Pikachu Jet BC2 was towed in.

At this point, there were already some people that were clearly waiting for the aircraft – including one passenger with a plush toy of a Pikachu in a pilot uniform. That said, there were also quite a few unsuspecting passengers just trying to make their way to Okinawa.

While boarding was meant to start at 3:15PM, it took an extra few minutes to get the plane ready. First, passengers requiring assistance were invited to board, followed by passengers seated in priority seats, and then those sitting in window seats.

Before heading down the jetway, passengers were handed out a giveaway bag containing a Pikachu Jet BC2-themed luggage tag and sticker, and a mask with a Pikachu-themed paper insert. The bag featured a cut line along which a part of it could be separated and turned into a plastic file.

After getting my bag, I headed down the jetway. At that point, I noticed that our aircraft was parked next to JAL’s 737 in the Jomon Ruins special livery – the first of the multiple special livery encounters of the flight.

While getting to my seat, I was welcomed by a small Pikachu on a decal next to the aircraft door, the flight attendants, and a pair of Pikachu plush toys displayed in the forward galley.

Once settled in my seat, 9A, I realized that there were decals on the engine and winglets’ inner sides as well. While the winglet featured a Pikachu, the left-side engine featured a Magikarp (the right one featured Corsola, although I only found that out after the flight).

Cabin

Like all other Skymark 737-800s, the Pikachu Jet BC2 was equipped with 177 economy class seats in a 3-3 configuration. Each of the seats featured a Pokemon-themed headrest cover.

While the middle seat headrest covers featured a PokeBall, the window and aisle seat ones featured Pikachu. The seats in the first row which Skymark sells as “Forward Seats” with extra legroom were equipped with a different set of headrest covers featuring a Pikachu in a pilot uniform.

What I thought was, perhaps, the most creative part of the interior theming was the reading lights which were turned into PokeBalls.

Additionally, there were Pokemon stickers on the tray tables including one pointing people to the power outlets available under each seat.

Later on, I found out there were also special Pikachu-themed seat number stickers in row 25 – presumably because of this being a part of the franchise’s 25th-anniversary celebration. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that while onboard, so I wasn’t able to get a photo.

Departure

Going back to the flight itself, shortly after 3:30PM, a welcome announcement was made – not only by the cabin crew but also by Pikachu. This was just the first of several announcements which featured the Pokemon’s iconic “pika pika.”

We pushed back ten minutes behind schedule at 3:45PM. At that point, another pre-recorded announcement was made by Pikachu which was followed by a translation to “[Pikachu is] looking forward to enjoying the flight together.”

Afterward, one of the flight attendants thanked everyone onboard for flying Skymark, mentioned that the flight time would be 2 hours and 17 minutes, and introduced the cockpit crew. She also mentioned that there would be four flight attendants plus Pikachu working on the flight.

While all that was happening, the passenger sitting behind me was mentioning to her neighbor that she would be taking some photos so that she can show them off to her kids. I just love how these special livery aircraft can turn what is for many a mundane flight into something memorable.

While making our way to the runway for take-off, the flight attendants performed a manual safety demo. Another announcement introducing the Pokemon Air Adventures project and the Pikachu Jet BC2 was made too.

Prior to reaching runway 22, we taxied by another pair of special livery aircraft – ANA’s C3PO Jet and Air Do’s Rokon (Vulpix) Jet.

We took off at 3:58PM and shortly after were offered an excellent view of Haneda airport.

Onboard Service

Five minutes after take-off, an announcement allowing the use of seat reclining was made, and another six minutes later, seatbelt signs were switched off. Not long after that, the cabin crew started getting ready to do the drink service.

In the meantime, the captain welcomed us on board. He mentioned that we were flying 36,000 feet above Aichi Prefecture. He also informed us that we were expecting to arrive at 6:20PM in Naha where it was 29 degrees Celsius and cloudy. Lastly, he said that while he didn’t know much about Pokemon, he knew Pikachu.

Apparently, the Pikachu plush toys displayed in the galley upon boarding were toys that he bought his now-four-year-old daughter when she was two years old.

The free onboard service consisted of a drink (coffee or apple juice) and a small Kit Kat. There was also a reasonably priced buy-onboard menu.

Noticing me taking a lot of photos, the flight attendant kindly offered me two Kit Kats – one featuring the Pikachu Jet BC1 on its cover and one the Pikachu Jet BC2 that we were flying on. I gladly accepted that offer, of course. Also, when I asked for an extra empty cup during the drink service, I was handed five – one of each design. How nice!

It’s also worth noting that during the service, the flight attendants wore Pokemon-themed aprons.

One of the flight attendants wore an apron that featured mainly Pikachu against a blue backdrop and another one a travel-themed apron with Pikachu, Eevee, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.

Once the drink service finished, I asked one of the flight attendants if I could get a copy of the in-flight magazine as there were none in the seat pockets. In addition to some articles, the in-flight shopping catalog could be found inside the magazine too. It included items exclusive to the two Pikachu Jets – a souvenir coin and a pouch.

Inside the seat pocket were a safety card and a Pokemon-themed waste bag.

Arrival in Naha

During the rest of the flight, I got some work done and enjoyed the views out of the window – especially of the Pikachu and Magikarp decals.

We started our descent around 5:53PM and just a few minutes later, we flew past Yoron Island – the southernmost island of the Amami archipelago.

Then, at 6:02PM, the seatbelt signs were switched back on in preparation for landing. A few more minutes of descending through a layer of thick clouds followed. This resulted in a nice shadow of our aircraft surrounded by a halo being visible.

We landed on Naha airport’s runway 18L at 6:17PM and reached our gate, gate 21, at 6:24PM – four minutes behind schedule.

While taxiing, JTA’s Jimbei Jet was being pushed back, providing one last encounter with another special livery on the flight.

After we came to a full stop, I waited for everyone to disembark so that I could get a few empty cabin photos. By that time, the two Pikachu plush toys were seated in seat 1C.

With enough photos taken, I thanked the flight attendants and disembarked, heading into the hot and humid terminal.

Looking back at the aircraft through the terminal windows, it was already being prepared for its next flight. Most notably, an aircraft tug with a Pikachu decal was already attached to the plane.

At some point, a container towing car featuring both the former and current Skymark logos and containers with Children’s Day and Mother’s day messages stopped in front of the tug, creating quite a unique scene.

Second Flight Send-Off

With the flight finished, I headed to the airport’s food court to grab a quick bite to eat before heading back through security and catching my flight back to Tokyo.

While making my way to and from dinner, I had a chance to see the Pokemon-themed decorations around Naha airport including the bright yellow Skymark check-in desks and the food court area.

Back airside, prior to boarding my return flight, I stopped by gate 21 to take some pictures of the Pikachu Jet BC2’s second scheduled flight departure. Instead of flying back to Tokyo, the aircraft flew to Fukuoka as flight BC508.

Not long after I watched the Pikachu Jet take-off, boarding for my JAL flight back to Tokyo started, bringing the quick and tiring but worthwhile visit to Naha airport to an end.

Summary

While Solaseed Air has been operating a 737-800 with Pokemon decals for quite some time, I was really happy when Skymark introduced the first full-scale special Pokemon livery since ANA’s retirement of its iconic Pokemon Jets. I was even happier to learn that the airline would be introducing another such plane.

Having missed the Pikachu Jet BC1’s inaugural, I couldn’t miss the BC2’s one. Now, all I have to do is catch a flight on the first one. And, of course, on any Pokemon-themed aircraft which will hopefully be introduced in the future.

The post Skymark’s Pikachu Jets: All You Need to Know & Flying on BC2’s Inaugural appeared first on KN Aviation.