ANA’s Boeing 777-300s were supposed to be nearing the end of their long careers by now. Instead, the airline is giving the remaining aircraft another few months of work, with scheduled domestic flights now extending into January 2027.
The move is hardly a reversal of ANA’s fleet plans. These aircraft are still approaching retirement, and the airline has already begun replacing them with newer Boeing 787-10s. But for passengers traveling on some of Japan’s busiest domestic routes, the extension means ANA’s distinctive 514-seat 777-300s will remain an option for longer than previously expected.
The latest schedule update pushes operations beyond the previously published October 24, 2026 date and into the Northern Winter 2026/27 season. Some flights are already scheduled as late as January 13, 2027.
That makes the 777-300 one of ANA’s more interesting aircraft stories to watch as the airline moves through a major fleet transition.
ANA’s 777-300s Are Staying on Busy Domestic Routes
The three remaining Boeing 777-300s are being used where their unusually large cabins make the most sense: Japan’s major domestic markets.
The aircraft have been scheduled on routes linking Tokyo Haneda with Sapporo New Chitose and Osaka, as well as services between Osaka and Okinawa.
ANA has also planned the aircraft on selected Haneda–Osaka Itami services and Osaka Itami–Okinawa flights during November and December. On the Haneda–Sapporo route, the 777-300s are scheduled to operate two of the three daily services through January 4, 2027.
There is a practical reason for putting these aircraft on such routes.
ANA’s domestic Boeing 777-300s are configured to carry 514 passengers, making them some of the highest-capacity aircraft in the carrier’s fleet. On routes with consistently strong demand, that capacity can be particularly useful.
The schedule is not necessarily fixed, however. ANA can still make changes as it gets closer to the aircraft’s final operating dates, so individual flights should be checked before booking.
Why ANA’s 777-300 Is So Unusual
The aircraft staying in service are not the Boeing 777-300ERs that many international travelers associate with ANA.
These are the original 777-300s, configured specifically for the Japanese domestic market. They have spent much of their careers carrying large numbers of passengers between the country’s biggest cities rather than flying long-haul international missions.
The 514-seat configuration is what makes them stand out.
Most airlines have configured their 777-300s with considerably fewer seats, particularly when premium cabins and long-haul amenities are included. ANA took a different approach with these domestic aircraft, prioritizing capacity for high-volume routes.
That has made the 777-300 something of a workhorse for the airline.
A flight between Tokyo and Sapporo, for example, does not need the long-range capabilities of a 777-300ER. What matters is being able to move a large number of passengers efficiently between two major markets.
For more than two decades, that has been the role of these aircraft.
The 787-10 Is Taking Over
ANA’s decision to keep the 777-300s around a little longer should not be mistaken for a change in its fleet strategy.
The airline is steadily moving toward newer aircraft, with the Boeing 787-10 playing an important role in replacing the aging domestic widebodies.
ANA introduced its domestic 787-10 configuration in 2024. The aircraft seats 429 passengers, compared with 514 on the 777-300.
That is a significant difference.
The 787-10 cannot simply reproduce the 777-300’s enormous passenger capacity on every flight. Instead, ANA is accepting a smaller cabin in exchange for the advantages of a newer-generation aircraft, particularly improved fuel efficiency and lower operating costs.
That trade-off reflects the direction in which the airline industry has been moving for years.
Large four-engine aircraft have largely disappeared from modern fleets, while newer twin-engine widebodies are taking over routes that once required bigger or older aircraft. Even within the Boeing 777 family, the shift toward more efficient designs is clear.
For ANA, the domestic 787-10 offers a way to maintain substantial capacity without relying indefinitely on aircraft that entered service around the turn of the century.
The 777-300’s Retirement Is Still Coming
The remaining ANA Boeing 777-300s are therefore best viewed as aircraft in their final chapter rather than aircraft receiving a new lease on life.
Their continued operation into January 2027 simply gives ANA more room to manage the transition.
The airline has previously indicated that the 777-300s are expected to leave the fleet by the end of its 2026 financial year, which runs through March 31, 2027. That puts the latest schedule firmly within what is likely to be the aircraft’s final months with ANA.
For aviation enthusiasts, that makes the new schedule particularly interesting.
The 777-300 is no longer a common sight in this kind of domestic role, and ANA’s 514-seat configuration makes its remaining examples even more distinctive. Once the aircraft are gone, passengers will have fewer opportunities to experience one of the largest-capacity domestic aircraft ever operated by the airline.
ANA Is Looking at a Bigger Opportunity in Saudi Arabia
The timing of the fleet transition is also interesting because ANA is simultaneously looking at new opportunities outside Japan.
The airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabian startup Riyadh Air that could eventually lead to cooperation on network development, codesharing, interlining and loyalty programs.
The potential partnership is significant because neither carrier currently operates a nonstop service between Japan and Saudi Arabia.
At present, Saudia is the only airline connecting Riyadh and Tokyo, with service between King Khalid International Airport and Tokyo Narita.
ANA and Riyadh Air are instead looking at how their networks could complement each other.
Riyadh Air is building its operation around Riyadh and has ambitious plans for international expansion. The airline recently added services to destinations including Dhaka, Islamabad, Lahore and Mumbai, bringing its network to nine cities.
Its longer-term target is considerably larger, with plans to reach 22 destinations by March 2027 and eventually serve more than 100 international cities by 2030.
For ANA, a relationship with Riyadh Air could provide a new way into Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. For Riyadh Air, cooperation with ANA could improve access to Tokyo and ANA’s extensive domestic network.
The proposed arrangement would make use of ANA’s two Tokyo hubs at Haneda and Narita alongside Riyadh Air’s hub in the Saudi capital.
A Changing ANA Fleet and Network
There is a bigger story behind ANA’s 777-300 extension.
The airline is simultaneously squeezing more life out of an aircraft that remains useful today while investing in the jets it expects to depend on for years to come.
The 777-300s still offer something the 787-10 cannot completely replicate: an enormous number of seats in a single domestic aircraft. That matters on Japan’s busiest routes, particularly during periods of strong seasonal demand.
But the economics increasingly favor the newer 787.
That is why the 777-300s can continue flying into January 2027 without undermining ANA’s modernization plans. The airline can use the remaining aircraft where their capacity is valuable while gradually introducing newer jets across the network.
The same transition is happening on the international side of the business, where ANA continues to build around newer-generation Boeing 787 aircraft and other modern widebodies.
Meanwhile, its proposed cooperation with Riyadh Air points toward another priority: expanding ANA’s reach into markets where it does not currently have a direct presence.
ANA’s 777-300 Final Days Could Be Worth Watching
For now, the old 777-300s still have work to do.
Their scheduled appearances on routes such as Haneda–Sapporo, Haneda–Osaka and Osaka–Okinawa mean passengers may have several more opportunities to experience ANA’s unusual 514-seat domestic configuration before the aircraft disappear from the fleet.
The retirement date will eventually arrive, but ANA is not rushing the final goodbye.
Instead, the airline is using the aircraft for as long as they remain useful while preparing for a fleet built around newer, more efficient aircraft.
And as the 777-300s approach retirement, ANA is looking beyond the domestic market too. Its proposed partnership with Riyadh Air could eventually open a new chapter in Japan–Saudi Arabia connectivity.
For an airline in the middle of a fleet transformation, the message is clear: ANA is replacing its old aircraft, but it is doing so on its own timetable.
For more on ANA, see: Riyadh Air Targets Japan With Strategic ANA Partnership
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