Japan Airlines (JAL) will renew the exhibits at JAL SKY MUSEUM, its visitor facility at Tokyo Haneda Airport, on August 1. The renewal will include the permanent installation of “SoraCruise by Japan Airlines,” an immersive theater previously exhibited at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, as well as historical materials related to the Douglas DC-8 aircraft, which the airline operated from the 1960s through the 1980s.
▲“SoraCruise by Japan Airlines,” first unveiled at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai (April 12, 2025)
SoraCruise was first unveiled at the Flying Car Station, an exhibition facility themed around next-generation mobility at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. It recreates the experience of traveling in a “flying car” (eVTOL), for which the JAL Group aims to begin commercial operations from 2027 onward, using live-action aerial footage, spatial audio, and “vibration haptics” technology that reproduces tactile sensations through vibration. Visitors can experience what it feels like to ride in an actual flying car. According to JAL, around 130,000 people experienced the attraction during the Expo, with many requesting that it be made available again.
For its relocation to the museum, JAL repurposed a space that had previously been used as a classroom for visitor tours and other presentations. The theater’s scale and screening time were revised to allow more visitors to experience it. At approximately 60% of the size of the Expo venue, the theater measures 4.9 meters wide, 2.6 meters high, and 5.4 meters deep. Screens are installed on four surfaces—the front, both sides, and the floor—and the seated theater accommodates up to nine people.
The screening, which ran for around 10 minutes at the Expo, has been condensed to approximately three and a half minutes, focusing on the experiential scenes. The story begins with takeoff from Expo ’70 Commemorative Park in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, and follows a flight over Osaka City and sightseeing spots across the Kansai region to a fictional remote island.
The museum has also renewed its display of original historical materials in the Archives Zone, which introduces the history of JAL and Japan’s aviation industry. Focusing on the 1960s, when the DC-8 entered service and restrictions on overseas travel from Japan were lifted, the exhibit features manuals, instruments, brochures, and other items from the era. Original materials are rotated regularly, and this exhibition is scheduled to run for approximately one year.
In addition, a trial of “JAL VIRTUAL FIT,” which uses AI technology to let visitors virtually try on uniforms from various JAL job roles, is being held through August 31. Visitors can try on the fifth- and sixth-generation cabin crew uniforms, as well as pilot and mechanic uniforms. Photos and videos taken during the experience can be downloaded to smartphones and shared on social media.
The JAL SKY MUSEUM Shop inside the museum was also renewed on July 6. New items include linen aprons, chemically recycled polo shirts made from fabric scraps and used clothing, ice neck rings, and toolboxes.
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