Ball Corp's Global 6000 lands in Sapporo as can-maker eyes Asia growth

Ball Corp's Bombardier Global 6000 (N400BC) was tracked flying from Choteau, Montana (KCII) to Sapporo, Japan (RJCC) on June 23, a 9-hour trans-Pacific hop. The aircraft departed the small Montana airfield early Tuesday and touched down at New Chitose Airport later that day.

If Ball Corp's leadership was aboard, the visit would coincide with deepening ties between the aluminum-can giant and Asian beverage markets. Ball Corp recently reported strong Q1 2026 results [ball.com], with CEO Ron Lewis noting the company is “volume constrained” in North America and fully contracted through the year [insidermonkey.com]. Sapporo is home to Sapporo Breweries, one of Japan's largest beverage firms and a logical partner for long-term can supply agreements.

The flight comes after a series of domestic hops in recent days, including stops in Indiana, Virginia, and New York. Ball Corp has emphasized it only builds new capacity—like its upcoming Millersburg, Oregon plant—alongside multi-year customer offtake agreements [resource-recycling.com]. A visit to Japan, if it occurred, would signal those negotiations are extending beyond North America.