All Nippon B787 in Star Wars livery

May the force be with ANA's awesome new "Star Wars" airplane

By Karla Cripps,

"R2-D2, it is you, it is you!" – The launch of the R2-D2 livery coincides with Disney's release of a new trailer for the upcoming film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." The film is due to hit theaters December 18

(CNN)It's been a wild week for "Star Wars" fans, what with 

the release of a new trailer for "The Force Awakens" leaving 

many viewers openly in tears on Thursday.

The icing on the geek cake?

To coincide with the release, Japan carrier All Nippon Airways 

(ANA) has launched a five-year "Star Wars Project" that includes 

a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted with an R2-D2 livery, 

proving yet again that the astromech droid does indeed have 

the ability to take flight.

The "Star Wars" themed plane is due to start flying international 

routes this fall, says the airline.

Due to hit theaters December 18, it's likely to be one of the 

biggest box office hits of the year.The promotional tie-in comes 

ahead of the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

It's the first film in the franchise to be released under Disney's 

ownership.

The studio paid $4 billion for Lucasfilm Ltd. in 2012.