China Airlines Ltd (CAL, 中華航空) yesterday unveiled the country’s first Disney-themed aircraft, featuring a special livery and onboard items with characters from the upcoming animated film Zootopia 2.
At the unveiling ceremony at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, CAL chairman Kao Shing-hwang (高星潢) said the plane would primarily serve the Taoyuan-Los Angeles route, but would also be deployed on flights to Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka and Ontario, California.
The plane’s maiden flight with its new look was scheduled to depart Taoyuan for Los Angeles at 4:55pm yesterday, CAL said.
Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times
In addition to the exterior, items such as headrest covers and snack packaging also feature Zootopia 2 characters, it said.
CAL president Kevin Chen (陳漢銘) said the special livery would be in service for six months and that further collaborations with Disney are planned, as the carrier seeks to appeal to a younger air-travel market.
Earlier this month, CAL reported its cumulative revenue for the first three quarters of this year reached NT$154.98 billion (US$4.96 billion), an increase of 2.68 percent compared with the same period last year and setting a new record.
Over the same period, net profit was NT$11 billion, an increase of 6.1 percent year-on-year, and earnings per share came in at NT$1.81, also a record high for the period, the carrier said.
Zootopia 2 is scheduled to be released in Taiwan on Wednesday next week, according to Walt Disney Co.
For this quarter, CAL said the Christmas and New Year holidays are expected to boost travel demand and benefit its passenger business, while the fourth quarter is a peak season for cargo services and it is optimistic about continued growth in cargo revenue.
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