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Flight Flick Hits: Top Movie-Themed Planes

February 29, 2016  | Written by Kristina Velan
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TAM Disney plane
On February 23, TAM Airlines’ Disney-themed plane flew from Brasília to Orlando on its inaugural flight. Image credit: TAM Airlines

APEX Insight:  From impressive and laborious liveries to specific amenities, film-influenced aircraft have been surprising and delighting passengers for years. In honor of last night’s Oscars, here’s a peek at some of the movie-themed planes that have been – or are sure to be – a hit with passengers.

Last week, TAM became the latest airline to launch a themed aircraft and first Latin American airline to have a Disney-themed plane. The Boeing 767-300’s fuselage is decorated with Disney characters made out of over 500 adhesive plates, which took over 80 hours to apply. But the motif isn’t simply surface level – passengers on the Plane of Dreams will experience themed in-flight service, down to the Mickey Mouse-inspired pepperoni pizza.

TAM Mickey Mouse pizza
Mickey Mouse-inspired pizza on TAM Airlines’ Disney-themed “Plane of Dreams”

This past January, Turkish Airlines announced a promotional campaign with Warner Bros. for the upcoming Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. In anticipation of the film’s March 25 release, Turkish Airlines launched a Boeing 777 outfitted with Batman and Superman imagery, as well as a #flytogotham and #flytometropolis virtual experience. “Turkish Airlines has this motto of ‘widen your world,’ and […] we’ve literally widened the world by creating these two mythical cities of Gotham and Metropolis,” said the movie’s director, Zach Snyder, in an interview about the campaign. The airline also released commercials starring the film’s actors Ben Affleck and Jess Eisenberg that first aired at the Superbowl and also appeared during last night’s Oscars.

https://twitter.com/turkishairlines/status/694468176470511616

WestJet took a hint from Hollywood when it decided to model one of its aircraft after the highest-grossing animated film ever. The Frozen-themed Boeing 737, which first took to the skies in October of last year, is WestJet’s second Disney-themed plane (the Magic Plane launched in December 2013).

A six-member team used over 170 gallons of paint to create the Frozen-inspired livery, which depicts a summer-to-winter scene, in line with the film’s story. The interior mirrors the exterior in that the overhead bin decor transitions from warm-to-cold. WestJet creative designer, Dzung Tran, who worked on the Frozen-themed plane said: “[We] want to provide our guests with an exceptional experience. If this plane can make someone smile then I’ve done my job.”

Disney-Frozen-themed-plane-cold-section
While the nose-end of the Frozen-themed cabin features warm colors, the rear cabin depicts a winter scene, in line with the film’s story. Image credit: WestJet

Judging from the reaction on social media, WestJet’s Frozen-themed plane has brought a smile to more than one face. Passengers can’t seem to get enough of customized aircraft. Whether it’s an All Nippon Airways Star Wars jet or an Air New Zealand plane inspired by The Hobbit, movie-themed flights never fail to elevate the passenger experience.