JAL Unveils ‘DREAM SHO JET’ A350 Featuring MLB Star Shohei Ohtani, Marking First MLB Themed Plane in 21 Years Since Matsui

Japan Airlines (JAL) revealed the special livery aircraft ‘DREAM SHO JET’ (Airbus A350-900, registration number: JA08XJ) featuring Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani of the Major League Baseball (MLB) at a hangar in Haneda Airport on September 28. It will operate on domestic flights from September 29 until around March 2026.

The aircraft operates as a symbol of the project ‘DREAM MILES PASS’ aimed at supporting young people with dreams. The design on the aircraft varies between the left and right sides, featuring Ohtani in a helmet on the left and with a glove on the right, highlighting his dual role as both a pitcher and a hitter towards the rear of the fuselage. Each side of the aircraft uses 45 decals with the design size about 5 meters in height and 19 meters in width. Seats numbered 45A to 58A on the left side and 45K to 55K on the right side will be closest to Ohtani’s face.

It marks the first time in about 21 years since featuring Hideki Matsui, who was then with the New York Yankees, on the ‘Matsui Jet 1’ (Boeing 747-400, registration number: JA8907) and ‘Matsui Jet 2’ (Airbus A300-600, registration number: JA8377) airliners that took to the skies in 2003, that JAL features an MLB player on their aircraft (Matsui Jet 2 was initially operated by Japan Air System).

In-flight, original design paper cups featuring logos of MLB teams will be available. There are six types of designs, divided by league and division, and will be offered randomly. Additionally, leaflets about the DREAM MILES PASS will be available on board.

The inaugural flight is scheduled to be from Tokyo/Haneda to Sapporo/Chitose on flight JL503 on September 29, with a special boarding certificate distributed to passengers of the first flight. Afterwards, the Airbus A350-900 will operate on routes from Tokyo/Haneda to Osaka/Itami, Fukuoka, and Okinawa/Naha, as well as from Osaka/Itami to Okinawa/Naha.