Scoot, the low-cost branch of Singapore Airlines, has unveiled its new Pikachu Jet in collaboration with The Pokémon Company. The special Boeing 787 Dreamliner livery was custom-made for Singapore, and the airline joins Air China and Skymark Airlines in celebrating the fictional species from the Pokémon universe. Tickets for Scoot's Pokémon Air Adventures have already gone on sale, and flights will begin on September 9.
Pikachu-themed flights twice a month
Scoot will initially operate the Air Adventures on the Pikachu Jet, a three-year-old Boeing 787-9 with a capacity of 345 seats, on bi-monthly routes to Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Seoul Incheon (ICN). The airline says one-way ticket fares will begin at S$333 (US$239) and S$231 (US$166), respectively.
Meanwhile, the fixed flight routes for the jet, registered as 9V-OJJ, will rotate every two to three months. The aim of the Pokémon partnership is to encourage more visitors to travel to Singapore following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions.
Leslie Thng, Scoot's Chief Executive Officer, commented on the new endeavor,
“We are excited and humbled to be the first ASEAN airline to partner with The Pokémon Company to connect customers across our network on the Pikachu Jet. Together with one of the key franchises in the world, Scoot will offer customers a one-of-a-kind experience on the Pikachu Jet TR through a series of complementary inflight amenities, merchandise, meals and activities. This will add fillip to the travel industry that is still recovering from the effects of the Covid pandemic, and we hope that this will help reignite the passion for travel and adventure."
Find more aviation news here!
As for the livery itself, it has a white background with flower petals, and the characters of Pikachu, Pichu, Shaymin, Psyduck, Lapras, Celebi and Meganium are depicted on the fuselage. There are also Pokémon hiding on the sides of the wings!
Merchandise and amenities
For the bi-monthly Pokémon Air Adventures flights, Scoot promises that Pikachu will be part of the in-flight announcements, and of course there will be specially designed Pikachu Jet themed cups and serviettes to other onboard amenities. And, of course, there is Scoot x Pokémon Merchandise to be purchased, including bags and bucket hats - and a collector's edition of the aircraft with the special livery.
A special Pikachu weekend will be held in Singapore from November 18 to 20. The event will feature a night show at the Marina Bay, but also a Pokémon GO event, called the Pokémon GO Safari: Singapore, where users will apparently be able to encounter Shiny Purrloin for the very first time, if they are lucky.
Susumu Fukunaga, Corporate Officer at The Pokémon Company, said during the jet's unveiling at Singapore Changi,
"The Pokémon Air Adventures Project was initiated with the intention of creating something special for our community during these uncertain times, providing excitement to everyone the Pokémon way, and to the industry that has been affected in more ways than one. Although the pandemic situation is still unpredictable, we hope this event will be a catalyst for people to kickstart their travels once again as borders reopen and life returns to normal. With this project, we hope to contribute to the tourism and transportation infrastructure industry in various regions and that the Pikachu Jet will be a symbol of this connectivity among communities and bring joy to everyone involved."
Have you ever played Pokémon GO? Would you like to do so in the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore? Do you have a favorite Pikachu livery thus far? Leave a comment below and let us know.