TOKYO: Japan Airlines, or JAL, on Tuesday unveiled a special aircraft with gold livery for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

On the aircraft, golden ribbons tie together the pictures of 16 Japanese athletes including gymnast Kohei Uchimura and golfer Nasa Hataoka.

JAL hopes to set the mood for the sporting events through the special design, at a time when most Olympic venues will have no spectators amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Airbus A350-900 aircraft carries a gold-lettered message that reads: “Ganbaro Nippon!” or Go, Japan!

／#みんなのJAL2020ジェット
3号機が就航‼
＼

アスリートと頑張るすべての人を応援し
明るい未来への希望をつないでいきたい
という想いが込められた特別塗装機✨

客室乗務員のスカーフや
ぺーパーカップなども特別仕様👏

詳細⇒https://t.co/VLUrduupCG#JAL金色の鶴丸#Tokyo2020#JALスポーツ pic.twitter.com/4NmvWEIzqU

— JAPAN AIRLINES【JAL】 (@JAL_Official_jp) July 20, 2021

JAL’s logo of the rising sun and crane, which is usually colored red, is painted gold on the tail of the aircraft.

On Tuesday, the airline started the operation of the special aircraft, for a flight between Tokyo International Airport at Haneda and New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan.

The aircraft will be used until the end of November for flights including between Osaka International Airport, also known as Itami Airport, and Naha Airport in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, as well as between Haneda and Fukuoka Airport in southwestern Japan.

JIJI Press