Hello Kitty fans and fans of non-stuffy airplane liveries will be delighted to learn that EVA Air now has a Hello Kitty-themed plane flying to the U.S.
EVA Chairman and airline Captain K.W. Chang flew the first long-range edition of a newly painted Boeing 777-300ER plane from Taipei, Taiwan to Los Angeles on Wednesday (Sept. 18, 2013) and the Hello Kitty Hand-in-Hand Jet will now be used on three of EVA’s 17 regular weekly flights between LA and Taiwan.
The Hello Kitty Jet “experience” goes way beyond just the livery painted on the plane. There are Hello Kitty boarding passes and baggage stickers and, onboard, the cabin crew wears pink aprons that have Hello Kitty designs. During the flights, passengers use more than 100 in-flight service items, including Hello Kitty headrest covers, pillows, tissue, hand cream, hand-washing liquid, napkins, paper cups, utensils, snacks and meals.
EVA Air operates five shorter-range versions of the aircraft on regional flights from Taiwan to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mainland China and Guam, each with its own theme: Hello Kitty Magic, Apple, Global, Happy Music and Speed Puff.
Here’s the Hand-in-Hand Jet, which has 19 different Sanrio characters and, according to EVA Air, is designed “to bridge cultural barriers and invite new friendships from around the world.”
Thanks for visiting Stuck at the Airport. Subscribe to get daily travel tidbits. And follow me on Twitter at @hbaskas and Instagram.