I don't know if you've been following this little aeronautical-geek marvel, but the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways, ANA for short, flew a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted in the colors of R2-D2, the most endearing little robot in the Star Wars galaxy, for several years.
Yes, a real airliner. Not a model. Not some Photoshop creation cobbled together between coffees. A complete Boeing 787-9, with an R2-D2-inspired livery on the fuselage, the Star Wars logo behind the wings, and everything else needed to make you want to get on a plane just to say: "I flew in a droid."
This R2-D2 ANA Jet was part of the Star Wars project launched by ANA in partnership with Lucasfilm and Disney. The idea was simple: to bring a little bit of the Force to commercial aircraft. And frankly, between a classic white fuselage and a Dreamliner disguised as an astromech droid, the choice is easy.
When R2-D2 goes into the paint booth
ANA had published a behind-the-scenes video of this beautiful livery, from the painting to the initial flight preparations. And even if you're not particularly fascinated by hangars, layers of paint, or big planes gleaming under neon lights, you have to admit that watching a Boeing 787 gradually transform into R2-D2 is quite mesmerizing.
The result was particularly impressive: the cockpit and the front of the aircraft featured the colors and shapes of the famous droid, while the rest of the fuselage proudly displayed the Star Wars universe. Enough to make quite a few rolling suitcases on the tarmac jealous.
The aircraft, registered JA873A, was unveiled in 2015 at Boeing's Everett factory, before making its first commercial flights a few weeks later. It subsequently operated on several ANA international routes, notably between Japan and North America, but also to Europe, Australia and Asia.
Perhaps some have seen it one day on the runways, at Roissy or elsewhere, with that look of a giant toy that had unfortunately obtained certification to transport passengers.
A Star Wars project that wasn't limited to R2-D2
The R2-D2 ANA Jet wasn't alone in this unusual squadron. ANA had also launched other aircraft themed around Star Wars, notably featuring BB-8 and C-3PO. On board, the airline even went a step further with themed elements such as headrests, cups, and napkins in the saga's colors.
It's the kind of perfectly useless detail that's absolutely essential. Because the flying experience isn't exactly the same whether you're drinking tomato juice from a regular cup or a Star Wars cup. Scientifically, I have no proof. Emotionally, it's obvious.
The ANA Jet R2-D2 completed its mission in this livery in August 2025, after a final flight between Washington-Dulles and Tokyo-Haneda. ANA's Star Wars chapter gradually came to a close after a decade of flights that drew many eyes to the sky, cameras to the runways, and smiles from fans.
What remains is this video, witnessing a rather improbable moment where a Japanese airline, Boeing and the Star Wars universe found themselves together around a common goal: to transform a passenger plane into a giant droid.
And frankly, if one day a company decides to paint an Airbus A350 as a Millennium Falcon, I'd be happy to make the effort to go and wait for it behind the fences of an airport.
