> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thecontrail.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Why Airlines Keep Painting Pokémon on Their Planes - URL: https://www.thecontrail.org/pokemon-planes-ana-garuda-indonesia/ - Published: 2026-10-02T18:35:13.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-02T18:37:01.000Z - Description: Contrail's resident Pokémon professor explains how a 1998 marketing stunt turned into decades of Pikachu-covered jets, from ANA's newest liveries to Garuda Indonesia's batik-wearing Pikachu. - Author: Ethan Chen - Tags: Editorial, Exclusive It's no secret that Pokémon is among the most popular media franchises of all time. It's the highest-grossing one ever, beating out the likes of Star Wars, Hello Kitty and even Barbie, but its presence isn't limited to video games and toys. In fact, Pokémon plays a pivotal role in advertising all around the world. It's on McDonald's Happy Meals, it's been minted onto Pepsi bottle caps and it's even printed on the back of UNIQLO T-shirts for a fashionable flair. But hold on, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. What exactly are Pokémon, anyhow? Pokémon is a Japanese franchise centered on its title characters, "Pocket Monsters" that humans can catch, train and battle with. Since their debut, Pokémon have been so popular that some have gone beyond selling products, with individual Pokémon even serving as official ambassadors for some of Japan's prefectures. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/_prw_PI10lg_5vhxeF1x.jpg) Credit: Kochi Prefecture (Look at him go.) Truly, there are virtually no limits for Pokémon in the world of modern advertising. I'm Ethan Chen, certified Pokémon Professor and Pokémon correspondent for Contrail, and today we're diving into the role Pokémon plays in the aviation industry. It all started in the '90s. Back in 1996, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, painted one of its Boeing 747s with characters from Peanuts dressed in ski gear. The paint job was mainly for ANA's Ski Hokkaido campaign, which encouraged travelers to visit the northernmost of Japan's main islands during the winter. Records are hard to find, but it seems to have been a hit with the public, so much so that ANA renewed the campaign the following winter and even added a second painted plane. Meanwhile, the first Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Green, came out in Japan in 1996 to massive commercial success. The games launched on the Nintendo Game Boy and were the first of their kind. They encouraged players to battle and trade with their friends in real life, which only fanned the flames of their popularity. ![blue and black digital device](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1593693846836-86921cc9fd08?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fHBva2Vtb24lMjBnYW1lYm95fGVufDB8fHx8MTc5MDk2MDU1OXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by Denise Jans / Unsplash Of course, the success of Pokémon wasn't limited to the games. A trading card game followed later that year, then an animated TV show, then toys and so on and so forth. Every new product doubled as an advertisement for the rest, creating a feedback loop where the more people saw, the more they wanted. With all that in mind, it's practically no wonder ANA decided to combine two massive successes and create the first Pokémon airliner. In 1998, it revealed a Boeing 747-400D painted with a cast of recognizable characters, capitalizing on the hype around the first generation of games and the first Pokémon movie, which had just come out. The design featured everyone from the ever-lovable Pikachu and Clefairy (that's the little pink guy up front) to the movie's fearsome villain, Mewtwo. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/All_Nippon_Airways_Boeing_747-481D_-JA8965-27436-1060-_-13483851145-.jpg) contri via Wikimedia Commons Well? How did this little marketing stunt work out for ANA, you might ask? So well that ANA has released eleven more unique Pokémon paint jobs since, and seven other airlines across Asia have followed suit with Pokémon planes of their own. But a lot has changed since that first 747 took flight. This year, ANA is rolling out its newest liveries: the Pokémon Jets Red, Green and Blue. They celebrate Pokémon's 30th anniversary, since Pokémon Red and Green first came out in 1996, along with 40 years of ANA's international flights. Jet Red, a Boeing 787, started flying domestic routes in July, Jet Green is set to fly internationally this fall and Jet Blue is still to come. All three jets share a similar design. Pikachu, the mascot of Pokémon itself, is featured mainly on the tail, while the length of each plane is covered in Pokémon matching its color: Fire types for Jet Red, Water types for Jet Blue and Grass types for Jet Green. They'll even feature the new starter Pokémon from the upcoming tenth generation of games: Pombon, the fire puppy Pokémon; Gecqua, the water gecko Pokémon; and Browt, the grass owl Pokémon. (Between you and me? Pombon's my favorite. Zach says Browt is his favorite. Not sure what he is talking about.) > The second of three special 30th anniversary Pokémon livery aircraft has joined the ANA fleet. Red and Green Pokémon 787s are now flying with a Blue 737 to follow. [https://t.co/Ii2eFujGMn](https://t.co/Ii2eFujGMn?ref=thecontrail.org) [pic.twitter.com/dvUH0sWKTY](https://t.co/dvUH0sWKTY?ref=thecontrail.org) > > — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) [September 22, 2026](https://x.com/flightradar24/status/2102504207236604374?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=thecontrail.org) And it's not just the outside. The interior is filled to the brim with Pokémon theming too, from limited-edition paper cups and napkins to small commemorative stamp-like stickers that passengers are encouraged to take home as souvenirs. Even the headrest covers are custom made, though ANA politely asks, "Please do not take the headrest cover with you." That's insane. Who's going around ripping off headrest covers? (It's me.) ANA hasn't confirmed it on its website yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to see flight attendants in custom uniforms too, just like on its Pokémon Jets in 2023. It's no surprise ANA has kept the partnership going for so long. In fact, the airline has reported a 50% increase in children flying on its Pokémon jets compared with its standard planes. Of course, ANA isn't the only airline chasing the Pokémon craze. A much more recent entry comes from Garuda Indonesia, the country's national airline. Its latest repainted Airbus A330-300, called the Pikachu Jet GA2, is a real departure from the norm for Pokémon planes. While most earlier jets featured a wide array of Pokémon, GA2 has just two species. The surprise is Magikarp, tucked onto the side of the right engine, while the obvious one is Pikachu, this time dressed in batik, Indonesia's traditional wax-dyed fabric. It's important to mention that while the plane itself is a departure (haha, get it? GET IT?) from the norm, a cosplaying Pikachu is pretty par for the course. Plenty of Pokémon merchandise, especially destination collaborations, dresses Pikachu up in whatever local outfit the designers see fit. Oh. We've veered too far off topic already. Well, the pictures from our field correspondent look pretty amazing! Thanks, past Zach (that's our editor-in-chief, who took these photos on board), and go give yourself a pat on the back for this one. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6497.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6520.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6722.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6654.JPG) The decor on board looks carefully chosen. The temporary headrest covers all feature Pikachu in batik, and the paper cups sport a custom black-and-white design of Pikachu with balloons tied around its waist. I have an inkling this design is a holdover from GA1, Garuda's first Pikachu Jet, which features that same "flying Pikachu" as one of its main motifs. GA1 has its own full-color cups, though, featuring many of the other Pokémon painted on its body. So what does this mean exactly? I have no idea. But the in-flight restroom more than makes up for the inconsistency. Look at that Pikachu go with his suitcase! It's basically as tall as he is! That's so impractical! And why does he need to bring so much luggage anyhow? All questions left unanswered. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/ed/acedfbb2-ff9c-499b-b431-eb36d7539be1/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6701.JPG) Credit: Zach In my brief time today, I've only covered two of the many, many, many examples of Pokémon licensing in the aviation industry. ANA and Garuda show how Pokémon can be a huge draw for families traveling abroad, and a relatively low-cost way to make your planes stand out in an industry that can feel so monotonous. Until next time, Contrail readers!