Airlines around the world spend large amounts of cash to make the paint jobs—liveries—for their fleets. They also partner with companies or events to make special liveries for promotional purposes. Below are nine liveries that brought each airline tons of attention—yep, including Hello Kitty.
WestJet
The Calgary, Canada-based low-cost carrier unveiled its second special livery plane on Oct. 18, 2015. The Boeing 737 was created to celebrate the favored Disney movie, “Frozen.” The aircraft’s tail features sisters Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. The fuselage shows snowman Olaf enjoying a summer day on the beach. It took the airline 21 days of 12-hour rotations involving a crew of six painters working 24 hours each day , seven days every week to finish. The crew used 643.5 liters of paint of 23 colors. Sparkles were added to the paint in sections to feature shimmer and shine because the aircraft moves, and WestJet brought in an airbrush artist to figure on details around the sun, water, and chateau.
Southwest Airlines
On April 15, 2015, this Dallas-based carrier offered a peek at the Missouri One livery, created to celebrate its quite 30 years of service within the state. A Boeing 737-700 has been emblazoned with an artist’s rendition of the Missouri state flag. it is the ninth special state livery unveiled since the Lone Star state plane, celebrating Texas, in November 1990. Other state liveries include Arizona One, California One, Colorado One, Florida One, Illinois One, Maryland One, Nevada One, New Mexico One, and Tennessee One.
Air New Zealand
The country’s flag carrier went all out when “The Hobbit” movies were released since they were filmed in New Zealand and were produced and directed by native son Sir Peter Jackson. So it had been only fitting for the airline to unveil a Boeing 777-300ER to celebrate “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the primary during a series of flicks supported the beloved books by J.R.R. Tolkien. The airline worked with Jackson’s Weta Workshop to make a design that took six days and 400 man-hours to color.
EVA Air
The Taipei, Taiwan-based airline first partnered with Japan’s Sanrio to make its Hello Kitty aircraft, using an Airbus A330-200, in October 2005. A second jet was added in 2006. the primary jet was retired in 2009, but the airline created three new liveries—Hello Kitty with Magic Stars, Hello Kitty Loves Apples, and Hello Kitty round the World—in 2011 to celebrate its 20 years in a commission that were placed on its new A330-300 jets.
Qantas
Australia’s flag carrier partnered with local design studio Balarinji to make its flying art series. Under the partnership, the airline has painted four jets, including this Boeing 747 called Nalanji Dreaming. Nalani means ‘our place,’ and celebrates the balance and harmony of nature in “our place” Australia. The 747 was unveiled in November 1995 to celebrate Qantas’ 75th anniversary. The jet was retired in 2005.
Alaska Airlines
The Seattle-based airline’s “Spirit of Disneyland II” livery painted on a Boeing 737-900 features Disney characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck. Unveiled in December 2009, the jet may be a tribute to Alaska Airlines’ long-term partnership with California’s Disneyland Resort.
ANA
This Tokyo-based carrier unveiled the primary of three “Star Wars” themed jets—this one being an R2D2 livery painted on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jet—in September 2015. The airline also features a Boeing 767-300 with a livery inspired by BB-8, another R2-D2 them on a Boeing 777-300 ER, and a Star Wars Boeing 767-300.
Kulula
This South African carrier found itself making headlines worldwide after unveiling its “Flight 101” livery. The livery, created by its in-house graphics team, was a part of an attempt to demystify aviation and explain a number of the unknowns around aviation and flying. a number of the more amusing lines include “The big cheese” pointing to the Captain, “The recorder – that’s actually orange,” the undercarriage “Comes standard with supa-fly mags” and ogive, “radar, antenna and a very big dish inside.” Flight 101 was one among four special liveries created by Kulula—K Dot, Vitality, this manner Up and Europcar.
AirAsia X
This long-haul, low-cost carrier, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, unveiled a special Oakland Raiders National league livery in June 2009. The livery, painted on a four-engine Airbus A340, features the team’s players and cheerleaders, alongside the long-lasting Raiders logo on the tail. The aircraft, named Xcellence, ties in with the Raiders’ theme “Commitment to Excellence.”