ANA's "Flying Honu" A380: Hawaii's Blessing Soaring Through the Skies
All Nippon Airways (ANA)'s Airbus A380 fleet, distinguished by its unique "Flying Honu" themed livery, has become a striking presence in the global aviation industry. These three superjumbo jets not only represent ANA's strategic investment in the Tokyo-Honolulu route but also bring wonderful blessings to passengers with their colorful, Hawaiian-inspired appearance and profound cultural meaning.
🎨 Origin of the Livery and Design Concept
The "Flying Honu" livery is inspired by the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, known as "Honu" in the Hawaiian language. The Honu is considered a sacred creature by locals, symbolizing good luck and prosperity. In 2016, ANA held a global design competition, receiving over 2,000 submissions. Chihiro Masuoka of Tokyo, Japan, won with his "Sea Turtle Family" concept, which was ultimately selected as the special livery theme for the A380. With the nickname "Flying Honu," ANA hopes to pass on the happiness and luck of Hawaii to every passenger on board.
✨ The "Three Honu Brothers": Meanings of Color and Names
ANA operates a total of three A380 aircraft, each featuring a different main color and turtle design, representing various elements of Hawaii and possessing a unique Hawaiian name:
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First Aircraft: ANA Blue ("Lani")
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Color: Symbolizes the blue sky of Hawaii.
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Name: Lani, meaning sky in Hawaiian.
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Second Aircraft: Emerald Green ("Kai")
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Color: Inspired by the crystal-clear ocean waters of Hawaii.
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Name: Kai, meaning ocean in Hawaiian.
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Third Aircraft: Sunset Orange ("Lā")
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Color: References the beautiful sunset of Hawaii.
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Name: Lā, meaning sun in Hawaiian.
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The Airbus team invested immense effort into the painting process. Reportedly, it was one of the most complex livery projects ever undertaken by Airbus, taking approximately 21 days per aircraft and utilizing up to 16 unique shades of color to paint its 3,600 square meters of surface area.
🏝️ Exclusive Route and Cabin Features
These three A380 aircraft are exclusively deployed on the Tokyo (Narita/Haneda) — Honolulu (HNL) route. Beyond the eye-catching exterior, ANA also fully upgraded the A380's interior to enhance the travel experience for the Hawaii route:
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Seating Configuration: The A380 features a four-class layout with a total capacity of 520 passengers, offering First Class service on this route for the very first time.
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Special Seats: The introduction of Japan’s first ANA COUCHii sofa seats (located in the rear of Economy Class), allows passengers to fold the seats into a simple bed.
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Exclusive Services: Passengers enjoy rainbow mood-lighting (inspired by "The Rainbow State" Hawaii), special in-flight meals and amenity kits, and access to a dedicated lounge at Honolulu Airport.
The launch of the "Flying Honu" significantly boosted ANA's market share in the highly competitive Japan-Hawaii market. It offers passengers a more comfortable and higher-capacity mode of travel while also highlighting ANA's commitment to supporting the protection of the endangered Green Sea Turtle.
