Meeting Point

This special 40th anniversary commemorative flight departs from Narita, flies over Aomori on a sightseeing route, and returns to Narita. I arrived at the meeting point, Terminal 1 of Narita Airport.

Airline Information Board

Upon entering Terminal 1, I saw an airline information board.

Some airline names were covered with black tape—likely due to route suspensions in recent years, possibly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Airline at Narita

Here is a poster announcing that WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, began operating three weekly flights between Narita and Calgary starting in May 2023.

While some airlines are withdrawing from routes, it’s great to see positive news like this.

Check-in Counter Guide

This is a guide showing the location of check-in counters for each airline in the South Wing of Terminal 1. ANA Business Class uses Counter C, Thai Airways uses Counter F, and so on.

Check-in Counter Area

This is the third-floor international check-in area.

I can see the counters for Turkish Airlines and Air Canada.

Departure Lobby Overview

A view of the entire international departures lobby.

Terminal Shop Guide

A neatly organized guide showing the stores inside the terminal, categorized by type and whether they are before or after passport control. I don’t recall seeing such a detailed guide in the past.

Check-in Counter (Another View)

Another view of the check-in counter area.

This one shows Singapore Airlines’ counter.

Departure Flight Information Board

The international departure board. Until a year or two ago, due to COVID-19, most flights were marked “Cancelled,” but now there are hardly any cancellations—what a welcome change.

Check-in for the 40th Anniversary Commemorative Flight

This was the check-in counter for the 40th Anniversary Commemorative Flight of the Boeing 767. Unlike the international departures lobby on the 3rd floor, the check-in took place next to the domestic departures counter on the 1st floor.

Commemorative Gifts

These were the commemorative gifts prepared for this special flight. All passengers received these gifts.

Digital Signboard

This digital signboard was displayed next to the gift distribution area. The photo of the Boeing 767 aircraft shown here appears to be from 40 years ago — a very rare and valuable image.

Boarding Pass

This is the boarding pass for today’s commemorative flight.

According to the staff, seats were assigned in order of application. I saw the announcement in ANA’s press release and applied right away, so I got seat 1C in the front row of Premium Class.

ANA Arrival Lounge

This is the ANA Arrival Lounge in Narita Terminal 1.

It’s available to First and Business Class international passengers and Gold members upon arrival. Very convenient for those transferring to domestic or other international flights — offering showers, light meals, and relaxation. As of June 2023, however, it was still closed.

Priority Security Lane

This was the priority security lane for the special flight.

Premium Class passengers and Gold members were given priority access.

Boarding Gate

This is the boarding gate after passing through the security check. The scheduled departure time was exactly 12:00 noon.

Boeing 767 Model Plane

This model plane of the Boeing 767 was placed next to the boarding gate.

It was hand-built over a year and a half by one of the copilots. The model is astonishingly detailed, faithfully reproducing both the interior and exterior of the aircraft. It’s a 1/72 scale model, about 76 cm in length.

Domestic Flight Departure Board

This board displayed the day’s domestic departures. The 12:00 noon flight was today’s special commemorative flight.

Peach Aviation flights were scheduled around the same time. [Editor’s note: Peach Aviation is ANA’s low-cost airline subsidiary.]

Captain and Copilots

These are the four pilots for today’s flight. The one crouching in the center is the copilot who built the detailed model of the Boeing 767.

Pilots and Cabin Crew

Today's flight crew: four pilots and the cabin attendants.

Model Plane Detail (1)

I got a close look at the model from the front — its realism is stunning. I was deeply moved by the craftsmanship.

Ordinary model planes don’t replicate details like this.

Model Plane Detail (2)

The view from the side is equally impressive. It’s an incredibly faithful recreation — a dream come true for aviation enthusiasts.

Gate Monitor

Boarding time was approaching.

The aircraft shown on the monitor also features the old “All Nippon Airways” logo — a nostalgic delight for aviation fans.

Aircraft for Today’s Flight

This is the aircraft that would operate today’s special flight.

Captain Waving

The captain was waving with a fan from the cockpit window. A sign saying “767 40th Anniversary” was also displayed.

Boarding Bridge Poster (1)

As I walked down the boarding bridge, vintage posters were displayed on the wall.

This one seems to be from the 1980s — likely 40 years ago — advertising ANA commuter tickets. It shows Tokyo–Sapporo at ¥134,400, and Tokyo–Osaka at ¥82,800. It also states “ANA’s 30th anniversary was last year,” confirming the poster is from around 1983.

Boarding Bridge Poster (2)

This newspaper article announced the inaugural flight of the Boeing 767, dated June 21, 1983 — exactly 40 years ago.

Boarding Bridge Poster (3)

This is a poster featuring an article from the July 1983 issue of “Aviation Technology” magazine, detailing the technical features of the Boeing 767.

Boarding Bridge Poster (4)

Another poster titled “The new face of ANA: the 767 in a fresh costume.”

This article describes the arrival of the first of 15 Boeing 767s ordered by ANA at Haneda Airport in May 1983.

Boarding Bridge Poster (5)

This full-page newspaper ad from June 21, 1983, announced the debut of the state-of-the-art Boeing 767, first flying on the Tokyo–Matsuyama route.

Decorations at the Boarding Door

Just before boarding, I saw 40th Anniversary-themed decorations at the door.

Truly a dream experience for aviation enthusiasts, filled with thoughtful details.

Galley Decorations

The galley area of the aircraft was decorated with various items like this.

Cabin Seat

This was my seat for the day. It’s a large seat typically used for Business Class on international flights. It has previously been used on routes to China, Southeast Asia, and Canada.

On domestic flights, it's sometimes used as a Premium Class seat. On some flights configured entirely with Economy seats, you might be able to sit in this seat even with an Economy fare.

Wall Decorations

Once seated, I noticed a 40th Anniversary card and a Boeing 767 sticker displayed on the wall in front of my seat.

Tow Tractor

This image of the tow tractor was displayed on the seat monitor. Before takeoff, the aircraft is pushed backward from the parking spot to the taxiway using this vehicle. Once the aircraft reaches the taxiway, it disconnects from the tow tractor and proceeds to the runway under its own power.

Takeoff at Full Thrust

After takeoff, the aircraft initially headed west.

Before departure, the pilot announced that we would be taking off at full thrust — something not usually done. Because it was a commemorative flight, they made this special adjustment. That meant a strong sense of acceleration (G-force) during takeoff. I could really feel it!

Emergency Equipment Demonstration

The cabin crew gave a demonstration of the emergency equipment. Normally, safety instructions — such as how to evacuate in an emergency — are shown on the screen. However, perhaps because this was a special commemorative flight, the crew performed a live demonstration.

Drink Menu

This is the beverage menu.

The left page lists alcoholic drinks, while the right page features soft drinks.

Drink Service

This is the drinks cart.

You can see delicious-looking beer, sake, shochu, wine, and cola on board.

Noguchi's Sake

This is a premium sake by Mr. Naohiko Noguchi.

Mr. Noguchi is a master sake brewer from Ishikawa Prefecture, often referred to as the "God of Sake Brewing."

In-Flight Meal

This was the in-flight meal for the day:

It’s not the kind of meal you typically get on a domestic flight.

Perhaps they made the menu a bit more special in celebration of the 40th anniversary.

Flight Presentation

While enjoying a highball after the meal, an in-flight announcement began using the commemorative booklet distributed earlier for today’s 40th Anniversary Flight.

One of the pilots on board, who was serving as a narrator for the occasion, guided us through the yellow booklet page by page during the announcement.

Commemorative Flight Booklet

This is the first page of the booklet.

Explanation by the Pilot

This is the pilot who provided the in-flight commentary using the yellow booklet.

Today’s Flight Route

This is the flight path for today. The pilot explained that the route was designed to resemble the number “6” in honor of the Boeing 767.

It wasn't a perfect “6” because air traffic control regulations restrict certain flight paths.

Mountains and Landmarks Visible from the Plane

This chart shows notable landmarks and mountains—such as Mt. Fuji and Mt. Chōkai, as well as Lake Inawashiro—that were visible from the aircraft along the route.

Rock-Paper-Scissors Game

These two ANA staff members were the organizers of the commemorative flight.

They hosted a rock-paper-scissors tournament where the winners received special prizes. It was a fun onboard attraction!

Approaching Narita

As planned, we followed the “6” shaped flight route and are now about to land at Narita.

Runway

The runway at Narita Airport has come into view.

Heading to the Parking Stand

We have landed at Narita and are now taxiing toward the parking stand.

Stair Truck Approaching

The stair truck is approaching so that we can disembark the aircraft.

Pilot Waving with a Fan

This is right after we disembarked.

The pilot was waving to us using a traditional Japanese fan.

Commemorative Photos after Disembarking

After getting off the aircraft, passengers had the chance to take photos of the plane and pose for commemorative pictures.

Aircraft Registration under the Wing

The aircraft registration number is written under the wing—“JA624A.”

Photo Opportunities After Disembarking

Many people were taking photos of the aircraft and commemorative selfies with the plane in the background.

In the background, you can see a Hong Kong Airlines aircraft, which looks like an Airbus A330.

Bus Ride to the Terminal

After taking commemorative photos, we boarded a bus to head to the terminal.

On the way, we passed another ANA aircraft, a Boeing 787.

Electronic Display

Once the fun flight had come to an end and we entered the terminal, we saw a message on the electronic board:

“Thank You for Flying With Us.”