‘Toy Story’ – China Eastern Airlines
Both the inside and outside of this China Eastern Airlines plane made in collaboration with Pixar feature artwork featuring Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the “Toy Story” cast.
The aircraft solely flies routes to Shanghai, where Shanghai Disneyland has a Toy Story Land. Nothing is overlooked; menus, headphones, seats, and even the silverware on board pay homage to the beloved characters, and passengers get to keep their unique boarding card with a “Toy Story” theme.
Birds Nok Air
Low-cost Thai airline Nok decided to have some fun with their planes by painting them as various birds.
The bright planes are not only amusing to notice from the ground, but they also provide a retort to the traditional “is it a bird or a plane?” joke. (Both. Both are correct.)
Tintin – Brussels Airlines
Cartoon characters are a common motif for aircraft liveries, as evidenced by Brussels Airlines’ tribute to one of Belgium’s most famous sons, Tintin.
The jet is modeled after the 37-meter shark submarine from the Tintin adventure “Red Rackham’s Treasure,” and Tintin and his devoted companion, the wire fox terrier Snowy – or Milou in the original French – also appear.
In-flight reading is available in English, French, and Dutch.
Frozen WestJet
You’ll need 170 gallons of paint in 23 different colors the next time you want to paint Anna, Elsa, and Olaf from “Frozen” on your airplane. Westjet, a Canadian airline, collaborated with Disney and hired artists from Canada, the United States, and Germany to create the kid-friendly livery.
The concept continued inside, with the overhead bins at one end of the plane seeming frigid and icy, transitioning to warmth and brightness towards the front.
‘Lord of the Rings’ Air New Zealand
Tourists flocked to New Zealand when the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was shot there, paying homage to the Oscar-winning films.
The country’s primary airline, Air New Zealand, also joined in the fun, with LOTR-branded planes and an in-flight safety video featuring actors from the films in costume.
Gudetama – Eva Air
Another cartoon mascot, the widely popular Sanrio character Gudetama, accompanies an Eva Air flight from Taipei to Tokyo.
Gudetama is a sluggish, gloomy egg yolk that is generally found languishing beneath a bacon covering. The interior of the Taiwanese jet is appropriately egg-yolk yellow, with everything from mugs to playing cards to pillows bearing the adored tiny mascot.
Hello Kitty, Sanrio’s most recognizable character, is also no stranger to travel. The feline’s face and signature pink color can be found on an Eva jet, a bullet train in Japan, and a lounge in Taipei Airport.
