JAL unveils special Tokyo 2020 livery [Updated]

JAL special Tokyo 2020 livery. Image from Japan Airlines

[Updated to include extra info from the official press release]

On November 9 2012, Japan Airlines (JAL) announced that they have signed up to be one of the official partners to support Tokyo's bid for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. One of the ways JAL shows its support is to fly an airplane with special livery. Today JAL has officially unveiled the Tokyo 2020 special livery at Tokyo Haneda.

JAL Tokyo 2020 Jet special livery. Image from Japan Airlines

The plane used for the Tokyo 2020 livery is JA8978, a Boeing 777-200 previously used for the JAL x Tokyo Sky Tree special livery. It will be used to fly domestically. Although there's no information on when and where this plane will be flying, but we can expect this to be flying between Tokyo Haneda and Osaka Itami, Sapporo Chitose, Fukuoka and Okinawa Naha as usual. These are the routes JAL deploys their 777-200s on. And my *guess* is the livery will last till the host city is announced on September 7 2013. Hopefully JAL will confirm this soon with an official press release. And I am right about that. JAL just issued a press release (Japanese only) confirming the Tokyo 2020 Jet will be flying the above routes from November 21 2012 till early September 2013 :)

Other than the usual high-end 3M sticker at the back of the fuselage, JAL has also include the Tokyo 2020 bid logo on L1 and L2 where passengers board. This way passengers can see and be made aware of the Tokyo 2020 bid efforts when they board the plane :)

According to Japanese news site SankeiBiz, JAL will operate about 6 domestic flights a day with this plane and there are plans to have a plane with special livery to fly internationally later too! Not sure would that be a 767-300ER just like they did with the Samantha Thavasa Jet 2012 which mainly flies within Asia, to Honolulu, Canada and chartered flights or they will paint the 777 fleet which flies both long-haul and regional flights :) But either way I am definitely looking forward to the special livery on international flights.

The commencement flight for this Tokyo 2020 livery was JL909 from Tokyo Haneda to Okinawa Naha today. To celebrate for this event, JAL staffs, including JAL Chairman Masaru Onishi, and Japan's women gymnastic team gathered at Tokyo Haneda Monorail station to give out goodies to promote the Tokyo 2020 bid. You can see more pictures on JAL official Facebook page (Japanese only).