New Japan Govt Plane Unveiled

August 17, 2018

Chitose, Hokkaido- One of two new Japanese government planes to carry the prime minister, members of the Imperial Family and other dignitaries made its appearance in Japan on Friday.

The Boeing 777-300ER jet arrived at the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's Chitose base in Hokkaido, northern Japan, in the morning from Switzerland, where interior finish work had been carried out.

The remaining unit is scheduled to fly to the base by the end of the year. The two planes will be operated by a special team of the ASDF.

The new government aircraft, set to be put into service in April 2019 after the completion of final mechanical work and flight training, are painted in the motif of the national flag, with curbed red lines running on both sides of the white body and a red disc symbolizing the rising sun on each of its main wings and vertical tail.

Japan has been operating two current government jets since 1993. In 2014, the government decided to replace the aging units with the new aircraft, which can fly farther thanks to better fuel economy. Jiji Press