These Boeing 777-300s Will Not Retire Yet

ANA’s fleet of Boeing 777-300s won’t retire just yet, with the aircraft staying in service into January 2027 on domestic routes.

The continued temporary operation means the three remaining Boeing 777-300s will fly beyond the previously published schedule through 24 October 2026, with further operation scheduled into January 2027.

Aeroroutes.com highlighted the schedule change, noting the aircraft will continue operating through parts of the Northern Winter 2026/27 season even as their planned retirement by the end of the 2026 financial year on 31 March 2027 approaches.

ANA’s Boeing 777-300s to Keep Flying

The Boeing 777-300s operating with ANA are easily identifiable by their high-density layout, with 514 seats installed, above the typical capacity for the 777-300 at other airlines and have been strategically deployed across domestic points in Japan.

Operations on the ANA domestic network for these aircraft include Osaka Itami (ITM) – Okinawa (OKA) on 5 November and selected dates between 5 and 11 December, followed by Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Osaka Itami on 5 November and selected dates through December.

ANA has also scheduled aircraft on Tokyo Haneda (HND)–Osaka Kansai (KIX) flights from 5 to 11 December 2026, with Kansai departures operating from 6 to 12 December 2026. These are some of the airline’s shortest but highest-volume sectors, where it has deployed larger domestic aircraft to meet demand.

Most operations continue to originate at Tokyo Haneda, with an average of two daily rotations filed as part of the latest schedule adjustment through 13 January 2027, excluding the peak year-end and New Year period.

ANA has also scheduled the aircraft to operate two of the three daily services on the Tokyo Haneda (HND) – Sapporo New Chitose (CTS) route through 4 January 2027. Ultimately, the schedule is tentative, and further revisions are expected as operations wind down with these aircraft.

ANA’s Boeing 777-300: Japan’s High-Capacity Workhorse

ANA’s Boeing 777-300s are firmly in their twilight with the Japanese carrier. Delivered at the end of the 1990s, the jets have spent the last two-plus decades serving Japan’s densest domestic corridors, with two classes seating 514 passengers.

Not only is the type the highest-capacity aircraft in the Japanese carrier’s domestic fleet, but it also has significantly higher capacity than the average cabin capacity on other airlines’ 777-300 fleets. The airline has deliberately deployed and configured these aircraft as workhorses for domestic route segments such as Tokyo to Sapporo, Okinawa, and Osaka.

These Boeing 777-300s play a different role than the 777-300ER fleet. The extended-range model is configured for long-haul international services, whereas the older non-ER 777-300s are used exclusively for domestic flights.

These Boeing 777-300s were therefore built to carry the maximum number of passengers rather than focus on range and premium-cabin density to boost revenue per flight in these upper classes.

ANA’s planned retirement of the 777-300 is not new; however, the aircraft will remain airborne longer into the current financial year, with the withdrawal looming as the airline plans to replace and renew its fleet. The withdrawals will be enabled by the delivery of a Boeing 787-10 and other Boeing aircraft, such as the 787-9 and 737-8, all of which will help domestic operations.

The primary replacement for the 777-300s, however, is the 787-10, introduced in a domestic configuration in 2024 and serving as the dedicated successor to the outgoing 777-300. The domestic configuration seats 429 passengers, a roughly 17% reduction that brings significantly improved fuel efficiency and supports a more flexible domestic fleet.