From 'Star Wars' To 'Hello Kitty': These Commercial Jets Fly In Style

In honor of the new "Star Wars" film due out in December, Japan's All Nippon Airways unveiled an "R2-D2" design for one of its new Boeing 787s. The airline says the "Star Wars" livery is part of its five-year Star Wars Project, which will attempt to connect Japan to the global market. The "Star Wars"-themed jet will begin flying international routes this fall.

But All Nippon Airways isn't the only airline to have some fun with the exteriors of its commercial jets. Here are some other airliners decked out in styles inspired by pop culture, sports, social movements and native art.

Brussels Airlines

The airline paid homage to the Belgian cartoon Tintin this year, painting one of its Airbus A320s with a scene inspired by the famed character. The fuselage also reads, "We fly you to the home of Tintin."

Etihad Airways

To tout its sponsorship of Abu Dhabi's Formula One Grand Prix race, the Abu Dhabi-based airline featured this Formula One look on this Airbus A340-600.

Delta Air Lines

In honor of its support of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Delta turned one of its Boeing 767-400s into a "pink plane," emblazoned with the worlds "Force For Global Good."

Qantas

Since 1994, the Australian airline has been celebrating the country's native Aboriginal culture with planes featuring indigenous art. In 2013, it unveiled a new skin for its 737-800 aircraft that interprets a painting called "Medicine Pocket," which hangs in the National Gallery of Australia.

Qantas also flew what may have been the most stunning special-livery airplane ever, a 747 decorated with an Aboriginal painting known as Wunala Dreaming. Sadly, the aircraft has been repainted since in the Qantas institutional colors.

Air New Zealand

The "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movies filmed in New Zealand have been a boon to the country's tourism industry. Air New Zealand even branded itself as the "official airline to Middle Earth" in 2003. Since then, it has emblazoned some of its planes with scenes from the iconic films.

The airline also plays homage to the nation's favorite sport, rugby, with aircraft painted to honor the national team, the famed All Blacks. The planes are, you guessed it, all black.

EVA Air

Taiwan's EVA Air partnered with Japanese company Sanrio in 2005 to create the "Hello Kitty" jet based on the popular character. It retired its original Hello Kitty livery in 2009, but brought back a new version in 2011 to celebrate the airline's 20th anniversary.

Alaska Airlines

To promote its namesake state's rich seafood industry, Alaska Airlines painted a 737 with a giant fish and cheekily dubbed it the "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon."

All Nippon Airways

The "Star Wars" plane isn't the first time ANA decked out its planes with pop culture heavyweights. The airline has been flying its "Pokémon Jets" since the 1990s.