A love story that began at 35,000 feet is being retold 27 years later aboard the same aircraft, now a cargo freighter

In aviation, aircraft registrations are usually just a way to identify an aircraft. But for Paul King, six characters (JA8094) have held a special meaning for the past 27 years.

JA8094 was the registration of the B747 that changed his life in July 1999, when he boarded an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight between Tokyo Narita and Washington Dulles.

Paul was one of only two passengers travelling in First Class that day. Among the cabin crew was Asako, a flight attendant working on the 13-hour journey.

With such an uncommon quiet cabin, there was plenty of opportunity for conversation. It all began as a simple exchange between a passenger and a member of the cabin crew that gradually turned into something much more meaningful.

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