Air New Zealand has unveiled a 777-300 aircraft painted as a ‘flying billboard’ for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
The aircraft arrived at Heathrow to take the cast of The Hobbit film to the global premiere of the film on 28 November in New Zealand.
Air New Zealand chief executive officer Rob Fyfe said: “This aircraft is going to excite passengers and fans of Sir Peter Jackson’s award-winning cinema fantasies alike when it begins regular Air New Zealand services between Auckland, Los Angeles and London.
“New Zealand is the home of Middle-earth and The Hobbit movies will be hugely important to New Zealand’s tourism industry in the next couple of years as international tourists are inspired to come and see and experience for themselves the landscapes which have shaped the movies.
“We are thrilled to see so many international visitors booked to travel to Wellington for the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; we want them to experience the magic of Middle-earth as soon as they set foot on this aircraft.”
Earlier in the month, Air New Zealand released its most popular in-flight safety video to date: An Unexpected Briefing.
Sir Peter Jackson, the director of The Hobbit trilogy, said: “It’s wonderful to see such a stunning image to celebrate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on one of Air New Zealand’s largest international aircraft. It’s a unique representation of the innovation and creativity of New Zealanders and a great opportunity to show off the incomparably beautiful landscape of this country.”
Air New Zealand will launch a second flying billboard next year to celebrate the second movie in the trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.