All Nippon Airways Inaugural Tokyo Haneda-Sydney Service - R2D2 Dreamliner
Sydney Airport today welcomed the inaugural All Nippon Airways (ANA) new daily direct service from Tokyo Haneda to Sydney. The added excitement around this launch was the use of ANA's Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner painted in the unique Star Wars R2D2 livery, with "The Force Awakens" set to open in theatres on 17th December.
Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather said, “We’re excited to welcome ANA to Sydney Airport and Australia, offering an excellent product for Australians and Japanese alike. We’re also thrilled to showcase the aircraft’s unique R2-D2 livery for passengers and fans in Sydney, and for the first time in Oceania. The arrival of ANA is great news for tourism and trade, bringing an additional 36,000 Japanese visitors to Sydney each year and contributing an anticipated $74 million in additional annual visitor expenditure to NSW".
ANA President and CEO Osamu Shinobe said, "Today's launch of services to Sydney marks the opening of our fourth international destination in 2015. The first roundtrip flight was fully booked, and we are happy to report that reservations are strong. We are also excited by the prospect of bringing more Australian travellers to Japan and vice versa. The route links Sydney with Haneda Airport for fast access to central Tokyo. An early morning arrival also lets passengers conveniently connect with our domestic flights to more than 40 airports throughout Japan or fly on to Europe the same day on our Kangaroo Route. Business Class passengers can spend their transit time relaxing in comfort in the Haneda ANA Lounge, which we completely refurbished this year."
Representing NSW Premier Mike Baird, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Major Events and Tourism, Jonathan O'Dea MP, said, I'm pleased to welcome the arrival of ANA's first daily direct service between Tokyo-Haneda and Sydney, which will encourage more people to explore New South Wales and Japan, and increase trade and business opportunities for companies based in both countries".
ANA Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner JA873A flaring for touchdown on Sydney Airport's Runway 16R
The Sydney City backdrop welcomes ANA back to Sydney
Floating past the Taxiway Foxtrot intersection with Runway 16R - Qantas Domestic T3 in the background
Ever so gently settling towards the Runway
Main Gear just about to touchdown on Runway 16R
Touchdown in Sydney, with plumes of blue smoke from the tyres, the smell of burning rubber, and Sydney Tower ATC welcomes ANA to Sydney
JA873A taxiing along Alpha towards the Internalional 1 Apron - this aircraft really will turn heads
The R2D2 livery certainly looks impressive on the Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner
As JA873A turns into the International 1 Apron, ARFF Tenders 4 and 5 provide a Water Cannon salute to ANA and R2D2
The Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines ingest plenty of water during the salute
JA873A pulls up at International Terminal T1 Gate 25
Today's official welcome and Media Conference was held in the Kingsford Smith Room, with Star Wars Stormtroopers guarding the door
ANA Senior Vice President Kenya Inada talks about the new service from Tokyo Haneda to Sydney
Sydney Consul-General for Japan, Masato Takaoka, also welcomes ANA back to Sydney
NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Major Events and Tourism welcomes All Nippon Airways to Sydney
Sydney Airport CEO Kerrie Mather presents Kenya Inada with a gift of Indigenous Art
Kenya Inada presents Kerrie Mather with a model of the ANA Star Wars R2D2 Dreamliner
A special barrel of Sake to toast the new ANA service
The Official Party cracks open the timber lid of the Sake barrel with wooden mallets - this is a Japanese ritual know as Kagami Biraki
A Sake toast - Cheers all round for ANA's new Tokyo Haneda to Sydney service
The celebration cake to mark the occasion
Two instrumentalists in traditional Japanese costume perform on the Koto, the national instrument of Japan. The Koto has 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument
After the official welcome ceremony way completed, Stakeholders and Media were invited to inspect the aircraft, which had been moved to Bay 1 on the Cargo Apron
JA873A is a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9, a stretched version of the B787-8 Dreamliner, and its first flight was on 2nd September 2015 - All Nippon Airways was the launch customer for the Boeing B787-8
The FOD protector has been extended to cover the entry of the lower air intake, and protect it from ingesting and foreign objects during taxi. This is part of the Dreamliner cabin air and pressurisation system, that is now electrically driven, and no longer bleeds air from the engines
The fine print under Star Wars logo says "STAR WARS Copyright & TM 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization"
As you would expect with a 3 month old aircraft, everything is immaculately clean and tidy - no fluid leaks or dirt anywhere to be seen
Nose wheel control box, with headphone sockets to talk with the Tech Crew
Port main undercarriage - notice the lack of hydraulic lines, as the B787 brakes are electrically operated
Signapore Airlines A380 9V-SKF at the Alpha 1 Holding Point, Runway 16R - viewed beneath the Dreamliner elevator
Entry to the aircraft was via the Port Door forward of the wing
Three of the ANA Cabin Crew with Yoda and Lightsabers, greeted Guests at the foot of the stairs
The 10:1 bypass ratio of the Trent 1000 engine is evident when you see how small the High Pressure Core is by comparison. To date, over 450 Trent 1000 powered Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (firm & option) have been ordered by 27 customers
Boarding the aircraft really does have a Star Wars feel - the graphic detail is very impressive
ANA Cabin Crew greet us in Business Class with a glowing Lightsaber - the crew also played Star Wars music and produced lighting effects with the cabin's LED lighting system
The ANA Business Class seat in the upright position
The ANA Business Class seat fully reclined and prepared for sleeping
The are two small Premium Economy Cabins with three rows of seats in each - Star Wars themed head rest covers
The small galley just forward of the Ecomony Class Cabin
The Economy Class Cabin
The Rear Galley of the Dreamliner is extremely large, and takes up the whole width across the back of the cabin
Looking towards the Rear Port door from the Rear Galley, with two Crew Seats visible
The doorway of the Rear Bathroom faces towards the back of the aircraft, rather than into the corridor
All Nippon Airways served Sydney Airport in the 1980s and 1990s, using Boeing B747 and B767 aircraft
ANA Boeing B747-281B/F JA8182 (CN 23813 Built 1987) - 30th July 1988 - Parked at the Qantas Jet Base
ANA Boeing B747-281B JA8174 (CN 23501 Built 1986) - 30th September 1995 - Departing from Runway 16R at Sydney Airport
ANA Boeing B767-381ER JA8664 (CN 27339 Built 1994) - 17th February 1996 - Parked at International Terminal T1 Gate 50
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