JAL Unveils Specially Painted 737 ‘JAL Gundam JET’ for Domestic Flights Until November

Monday, March 3, 2025

Japan Airlines (JAL) unveiled a specially painted aircraft, the ‘JAL Gundam JET’ (Boeing 737-800, registration: JA342J), at their hangar at Haneda Airport on March 3, in celebration of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. The first flight was JAL461, which departed Tokyo/Haneda for Tokushima at 3:35 p.m. on the same day. It will operate on domestic routes until around November.

The aircraft symbolizes the ‘JAL×GUNDAM FLY TO THE FUTURE PROJECT’, a collaboration between JAL and Bandai Namco Holdings, coinciding with the Osaka-Kansai Expo. It features the image of the ‘RX-78F00/E Gundam (EX-001 Glass Feather Equipment)’ which appears in media within Bandai Namco’s ‘GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION’ at the expo on both sides towards the rear, and the expo’s official character ‘Myakumyaku’ towards the front. The design areas cover approximately 25 meters vertically and 3.6 meters horizontally on each side, using 46 decals on the left and 48 on the right.

Inside the aircraft, special headrest covers will be available from early April. The designs vary by class, with red for Class J and black for standard seats.

▲JAL Kumiko Miyasaka, Executive Officer and West Japan Branch Manager

In the ‘JAL×GUNDAM FLY TO THE FUTURE PROJECT’, in addition to operating the Gundam JET, various initiatives will be rolled out such as the sale of tour packages with limited edition Gundam series model kits and the operation of a restaurant bus painted with the same design as the Gundam JET. JAL’s Executive Officer and West Japan Branch Manager, Kumiko Miyasaka, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony, stated, “I hope that Gundam activities can connect the world with Japan and various regions.” Future plans include boarding campaigns with chances to win limited merchandise.