Cute: ANA's Airbus A380s Celebrate World Sea Turtle Day

All Nippon Airways

IATA/ICAO Code:

NH/ANA

Airline Type:

Full Service Carrier

Hub(s):

Tokyo Haneda Airport, Tokyo Narita Airport

Year Founded:

1952

Alliance:

Star Alliance

CEO:

Koji Shibata

Country:

Japan

Region:

Asia

Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) will resume Airbus A380 services on July 1st, when the airline's Hawaiian-inspired superjumbos will take to the skies once more between Tokyo Narita and Honolulu, Hawaii.Hawaiian-inspired sea turtles adorn ANA’s three Airbus A380s in unique blue, green, and orange liveries, known as the FLYING HONU. ANA marked World Sea Turtle Day on June 16th with a special tweet to publicize the FLYING HONU's return to Hawaii:

As international travel restrictions are relaxed on both ends of the route, travel demand has increased significantly. The twice-weekly Airbus A380 flights from Tokyo Narita will complement the airline’s five-weekly services from Tokyo Haneda, effectively making the Tokyo to Honolulu route daily.

With the return of the Airbus A380 on its services to Honolulu, ANA will once again be offering First Class, which features eight fully private suites. The airline’s Airbus A380s carry a total of 520 passengers in a four-class configuration – eight in First Class, 56 in Business Class, 73 in Premium Economy, and 383 in Economy Class.

The FLYING HONU A380s come in three colors - blue, orange, and green. Each livery represents a unique feature of Hawaii's ecology. Photo: ANA

The meaning behind the FLYING HONU

The FLYING HONU liveries first took to the skies in May 2019 as part of ANA’s campaign to protect Hawaii’s unique ecology. Sea turtles, known as ‘Honu’ in the Hawaiian language, symbolize good luck and prosperity.

The blue FLYING HONU livery represents Hawaii's blue skies, the green is for the crystal-clear water of the Pacific Ocean, and the orange refers to the beautiful island sunsets.

Click here to learn more about ANA’s FLYING HONU.

ANA’s sea turtles have gained somewhat of a cult following in Japan. Even throughout the pandemic, when the Airbus A380s were not flying regular, scheduled services, they were used for a variety of events, including in-cabin dining experiences, and even weddings. The airline also offered a series of sightseeing flights and special domestic package deals.

The FLYING HONU first arrived in Hawaii in May 2019. Photo: ANA

The FLYING HONU flight schedule

From July 1st, ANA’s Tokyo to Honolulu flight schedule will be as follows:

Friday, Saturday

Tokyo Narita to Honolulu (operated by the Airbus A380) – departs at 8.10 pm, arrives at 8.45 am
Honolulu to Tokyo Narita (operated by the Airbus A380) – departs at 11.35 am, arrives at 2.50 pm (+1)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday

Tokyo Haneda to Honolulu (operated by the Boeing 787-9) – departs at 9.55 pm, arrives at 10.30 am
Honolulu to Tokyo Haneda (operated by the Boeing 787-9) – departs at 2.10 pm, arrives at 5.25 pm (+1)

The block times are seven hours 35 minutes for the outbound sector, and eight hours 15 minutes for the inbound.

ANA acquired the A380 solely for flights to Honolulu. Photo: Airbus

In line with the airline’s commitment to sustainability, along with the return of FLYING HONU, the ANA Group plans to resume operations of the ANA Express Bus. These electric buses make the journey between Waikiki and Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest open-air shopping center.

Have you flown on one of ANA’s FLYING HONU A380s? Share your experiences by commenting below.