Hello Kitty has introduced a new Hello Kitty-themed plane through EVA Air, an airline based in Taiwan that will fly back and forth to the United States, according to NBC.
K.W. Chang, the chairman of EVA Air, flew a Boeing 777 from Taipei, Taiwan to Los Angeles. The plane is painted with "Hello Kitty Hand-in-Hand" and features a scene that shows 19 Hello Kitty characters from Sanrio, the company that markets the brand. The Hello Kitty design runs along the entire length of the plane and "has been designed to bridge cultural barriers and invite new friendships from around the world," the airline said.
The new plane will be used on three weekly flights between Taipei and Los Angeles. EVA Air already has five short-haul Airbus 330 Hello Kitty Jets that fly routes within Asia and to Guam.
The idea was "to make flying fun," Chang said, explaining how he came up with the idea of incorporating Hello Kitty into flying. The company chose Los Angeles for its first international route "to not only attract more passengers from the United States but also to demonstrate the importance of the route."
The plane took a crew consisting of 35 engineers almost two weeks to paint the livery on the plane. Due to the higher elevation and longer distance the new plane will go, aviation-grade adhesive wasn't sufficient for the conditions the plane will face, causing them to use a different, more detailed painting process.
Before boarding the plane, passengers will receive Hello Kitty boarding passes and baggage stickers. Onboard the aircraft, the cabin crew wears pink aprons with Hello Kitty designs. During the flight, passengers have access to Hello Kitty items that include headrest covers, tissue, hand cream, napkins, utensils, snacks and meals.
"You either love it or hate it," Raymond Kollau, of Airlinetrends.mo, said. "EVA Air has tapped into this cultural phenomenon in a clever way in order to get noticed."
Video coverage of the Hello Kitty jet.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
