American Airlines thought the new movie "Sully" was an important film that needed to be made, to the point where the carrier provided equipment and expertise for filming.
But as much a stake as American has in the picture, that doesn't necessarily mean it will show it on its flights.
The picture, which hit box offices this weekend, depicts the dramatic, real-life 2009 landing of a US Airways flight that had both engines disabled after flying through a flock of birds. The captain, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, decided he could not make it back to any of the New York-area airports and safely landed in the water in what is now dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson."
In an interesting piece by the Los Angeles Times on the crossover appeal for branded content, the paper reported that American, which merged with US Airways in 2009, provided filmmakers with an actual Airbus 320 plane, one of its gates at LaGuardia Airport in New York - where the actual flight originated - as well technical expertise down to the uniforms and acceptable level of facial hair.
"We did it without disrupting our operations," Michelle Mohr, a spokeswoman for American who worked for US Airways during the 2009 incident, told the L.A. Times. "The story is so important. It's one of the greatest aviation stories ever."
Alas, you'll have to catch it in theaters or, in due time, HBO or Netflix. Because it won't be shown on an American Airlines flight.
"We are proud of the crew and how everything turned out, but we are fully aware that it could be upsetting to someone on the plane," Mohr told the paper.
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