From EVA Air’s Hello Kitty plane to JetBlue’s Super Mario-themed jet, AV geeks (and, if we’re being honest, everyone else) love a special aircraft livery.
Over the years, one of the best known was Icelandair’s Hekla Aurora, a Boeing 757-200 given a Northern Lights-themed makeover in 2014.
Artists used elaborate airbrushing techniques to recreate the Aurora Borealis, and the plane remained in service until 12 October last year.
Now, Icelandair has teamed up with Aviationtag to take the aircraft skin and transform it into a limited edition series of keychains.
Writing about the move on social media, Icelandair said: “Last year we farewelled a beloved member of our fleet: Hekla Aurora, the Boeing 757 painted in the colors of the northern lights.
“Saying goodbye to such a beauty wasn’t easy, so we collaborated with Aviationtag to preserve the aircraft’s livery.”
How to get your hands on one
Prices for the keychains start at €39.95. The team at Aviationtag have said that thanks to the design, which features a mix of blues, greens and blacks, “no two pieces look exactly alike”.
For serious collectors, there are sets of nine or 14 available, priced at €409.35 and €634.30 respectively.
Icelandair also has 10 tags to give away – fans of the livery are being asked to comment on the flag carrier’s social media pages with memories of flying on Hekla Aurora, or of viewing the Northern Lights in the country.
Other aviation accessories
Icelandair isn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last, to upcycle plane parts into merchandise.
Air France sells key chains made out of leather headrests and wallets made out of lifejackets, and you can even buy engine blades that have been turned into works of art.
Lufthansa Group airlines – including Lufthansa, Austrian, Brussels and SWISS – all sell products made from recycled parts on Worldshop, with everything from coasters and cufflinks to lamps and tables on offer.
Our pick would have to be either the bar made with a window panel from an Airbus A320-211, or the armchair made from an Airbus A321 aircraft nose. Or maybe the sideboard made from an overhead locker.