Crazy, gaudy, clever airplane paint jobs | CNN

Panda plane, British Airways —

Bears might fly -- a British Airways plane sporting a panda-themed livery took to the skies this week to mark the launch of a route from London to Chengdu, China. Honoring the Chinese belief in the lucky qualities of the number eight, the China-London leg will have the flight number BA88. But BA isn't the first to put a panda plane into the sky -- click through the gallery to see which airline beat them to it.

british airways

The world's largest plane decal, taking more than 400 hours to complete, was unveiled in 2012. A <a href="http://travel.cnn.com/air-new-zealand-hobbit-safety-video-123456">Hobbit-themed safety video</a>, featuring characters from Middle Earth, was shown on the Air New Zealand plane, cabin crew even donning pointy ears for the first flight.

Hobbit plane, Air New Zealand —

The world's largest plane decal, taking more than 400 hours to complete, was unveiled in 2012. A Hobbit-themed safety video, featuring characters from Middle Earth, was shown on the Air New Zealand plane, cabin crew even donning pointy ears for the first flight.

Air New Zealand

Salmon-Thirty-Salmon, Alaska Airlines —

Known officially as the Salmon-Thirty-Salmon (it's a Boeing 737, get it?), the inspiration behind this livery was an incident in 1987 when an Alaska Airlines plane was hit by a fish as it was taking off in Juneau, Alaska. It's believed the fish was dropped by a passing bald eagle.

Alaska Airlines

Wunala and Yananyi Dreaming, Qantas —

Qantas has some of the most colorful liveries around. Back in 1994 it commissioned the aboriginal-themed Wunala Dreaming design for the side of a Boeing 747. Another livery was Yananyi Dreaming, inspired by Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the stories of the indigenous Anangu people.

qantas

Hello Kitty jet, Eva Air —

Last week, Taiwan-based EVA Air launched its first long-range jet -- flying between Taipei and Los Angeles -- emblazoned with everyone's favorite mouthless cat (see link lbelow). Not just the fuselage, but everything on the EVA's feline flying machines is Kitty themed, from crew members' uniforms to the coffee cups, head rests, toilet rolls and food.

EVA Air

Alpaufzug, Swiss International Airlines —

This elaborate Swiss International Airlines livery depicting farmers herding cows through an alpine meadow was unveiled in 2006. Following it in 2010 was a flower power livery, adorning planes on the Zurich-San Francisco route. Flower power? Surely a few decades late.

Swiss

Kamagurka Hairlines, Tho. Cook Airlines Belgium —

Most companies mark anniversaries with company parties and an open bar, but when Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium turned five, in 2007, it celebrated by commissioning Belgian comedian Kamagurka to redesign one of its planes. The result? A plane adorned with a long-haired superhero beneath the logo "Kamagurka Hairlines."

thomas cook

Mega Mindy, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium —

Warming to the theme, in 2009 Thomas Cook's Belgian branch unveiled its Mega Mindy livery -- inspired by a popular children's cartoon character created by the animation company Studio 100. The livery was created to advertise Studio 100's theme parks in Belgium and Germany.

thomas cook

Bangkok Air —

Bangkok Air has adorned its aircraft with everything from flowers and umbrellas to yet more cartoon characters. Some of its latest liveries feature the airline's mascots -- colorful planes with names such as Sky, Sunshine, Rocky and Daisy.

Bangkok Air

All Blacks livery, Air New Zealand —

Perhaps only the risk of mid-air distraction ("Look at that -- Arrrggghhh!!!") has prevented more airlines from launching crazy-liveried planes. In 2011, an Air New Zealand craft got a rugby-themed makeover to mark the airline's sponsorship of the All Blacks rugby team. Painting the aircraft took more than than a week, with 14 painters working in shifts 24 hours a day. More than 700 liters of chrome-free primer and paint were used.

Air New Zealand

Bearbus, Germanwings —

Berlin's coat of arms -- a brown bear wearing a crown -- inspired Germanwings' Bearbus livery, created to celebrate the launch of the airline's operations out of the German capital's Schönefeld Airport. Best not to think of the ditty about bears and woods when this big baby passes overhead.

Germanwings

British Museum livery, Korean Air —

In 2009, Korean Air created a livery celebrating its sponsorship of London's British Museum. The livery depicted an Egyptian golden coffin mask and an Anglo-Saxon helmet, among other of the museum's exhibits. A helmet -- winged or otherwise -- yes. But can the coffin theme have helped the more nervous flyers onboard?

Korean Air

Flying 101, Kulula Airlines —

Among the South African budget airline Kulula's quirky liveries is the Flying 101, with arrows pointing out the plane's various parts, and a mustache-adorned plane rolled out to mark the Movember charity fund-raising drive.

kulula

Rizzi-bird, Condor —

Condor's crazy-looking Rizzi-bird livery was created by the late American artist James Rizzi to commemorate the German airline's 40th anniversary in the mid-1990s.

condor

Panda jet, All Nippon Airways —

BA wasn't first! ANA's panda-themed livery, created to celebrate 20 years of the airline's flights between Japan and China, was unveiled in 2007. The image took 350 people 80 hours to transfer to the plane. Other ANA liveries have included rainbow-colored Pokémons and a Woody Woodpecker design to promote Universal Studios Japan.

ANA

BA's panda plane and other unusual aircraft paint jobs

Story highlights

British Airways has launched a plane with panda-themed livery

There's a long tradition of airlines getting creative with paint jobs for promotional purposes

Alaska Airlines turned a 737 into "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon" after a plane hit a fish -- yep, it happened

CNN —

Does the paint job of an airplane – otherwise known as its livery – make a difference to you?

Does a pastel rendering of Hello Kitty or a cuddly panda impart a sense of fun and high spirits?

Or does it make you think, “Just who the hell is flying this plane and how serious are they about it, really?”

More: Too cute? Hello Kitty plane makes maiden flight to U.S.

Either way, airlines around the world have a proud tradition of getting goofy with the looks of their aircraft.

Air NZ's Hobbit plane - click to expand

air new zealand

Hello Kitty takes to the skies

02:16 - Source: CNN

Unusual livery designs are often meant to publicize partnerships or promote special events, such as company anniversaries.

The gallery above shows a few of our favorites over the years.

UPDATE: For those Gwaihir-eyed readers who noticed no Hobbits on the Air New Zealand livery and left us some comments on the matter, we have this just in from Middle Earth:

“I can confirm that this is indeed Air New Zealand’s Hobbit-inspired 777-300ER aircraft. Hobbit Bilbo Baggins features at the rear end of the aircraft which isn’t visible in the picture you have used,” the airline’s Emma Field told us.

We’ve added a different view of the plane to the left of this story.

And if you’re wondering about our answers to the questions at the top of this piece., they’re: yes, yes and yes!

Let us know what you think of creative airplane liveries in the comments section.

More: How airline liveries reflect a changing industry