The world’s first aircraft featuring the Japanese cartoon character Bad Badtz-Maru is to have its maiden flight to Penghu next month, Uni Air said yesterday.
The character is a male penguin with spiky hair created by Tokyo-based Sanrio Co, which is best known for its cartoon character Hello Kitty.
Uni Air, which is a subsidiary of EVA Air, said the aircraft is to be officially unveiled on Sept. 13 and its maiden flight to Penghu Magong Airport is scheduled on the same day.
On Sept. 14, the aircraft will begin carrying passengers between Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and Magong Airport four times per day, the company added.
The company said that extra flights will be offered on the route on Sept. 14 and Sept. 18 — the first and last days of the Mid-Autumn Festival — with the same aircraft to meet the surge in passenger numbers.
The ATR-600 aircraft will have Bad Badtz-Maru painted on its exterior, while self check-in kiosks at Songshan and Magong airports, as well as headrest covers, napkins, paper cups, wet towels and safety instruction cards on the plane will also be themed after the character, the company said.
Passengers will be able to have their photographs taken with a model of the cartoon character at both airports, it added.
To promote the Bad Badtz-Maru-themed airplane, the airline said it has launched an event on Facebook that will last until Oct. 14, in which passengers will have the chance to win the tickets to board the maiden flight and have a two-day holiday in Penghu, in addition to a variety of merchandise offered by the company.
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