Hello Kitty flights to take off from Taiwan’s EVA Air
Japan Airlines (JAL) cabin attendants and Sanrio character Hello Kitty introduce JAL’s Hellosmile jet, a Boeing 777 jetliner painted with a Hello Kitty face to raise awareness of cervical cancer, at JAL’s hanger at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo on January 13, 2012.
Taiwan's EVA Air has transformed three Airbus A330-300 aircrafts, creating Hello Kitty-themed jets for two new flight routes in hopes of boosting the country's struggling tourism industry, according to Metro News. Giant pictures of the Japanese kitten have been painted on the exterior of the planes, which should enter service in May.
"EVA is also hard at work with Sanrio to give two Airbus 330-200s colorful Hello Kitty Jet makeovers, which will give the airline five of the cheerfully painted second-generation aircrafts and enable more passengers to enjoy Hello Kitty flights," said the airline in a statement.
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The country's second largest airline, EVA worked with Japanese comic company Sanrio to launch the first Hello Kitty airplane in October 2011, reported the International Business Times. The first new route will connect Taipei Songshan and Tokyo Haneda, with the themed aircraft Hello Kitty flying twice a day. The second Hello Kitty jet service from Songshan to Shanghai's Hongqiao will offer six flights a week.
If you'd like to see what you're getting yourself into before buying your boarding pass for the all-pink aircraft, take a look here (yes, that does appear to be her face pressed into sushi). Everything from check-in counters and tickets, to meals and pillows, are branded with the loveable kitty's face.