by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:20 AM ET, Fri June 2, 2017
For travelers in China using Hainan Airlines, the carrier has unveiled a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner adorned with livery featuring characters from the hit movie, Kung Fu Panda.
The Kung Fu Panda plane will be assigned the route between Haikou and Beijing, taking its maiden flight Monday in front of a cheering crowd.
This will be Hainan Airlines' third aircraft to be highlighted by Po and the famous panda's friends.
The livery on the plane was actually designed by a young artist from Alaska, Hannah Foss, who won a contest to have her ideas painted on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Foss was lucky enough to be a guest on the plane's first ever flight.
[CALLOUT]
During a speech in front of the over 200 passengers on the flight with her, Foss shared her story.
"I have loved painting and designing since I was a child. I have designed a dinosaur exhibition for a museum and depicted the Northern Lights around the Arctic Circle in my artwork. But I never thought that my design would be painted on a plane someday," Foss said in her statement.
"It feels amazing! This is the first time that I have come to China, taken a Boeing Dreamliner and witnessed the process of the painting of a plane. I really appreciate these "firsts" that Hainan Airlines has offered to me."
[READMORE] READ MORE: How Hainan Airlines Plans To Win In America [/READMORE]
As part of a partnership between Hainan, Boeing and DreamWorks, the new plane is the third of six aircraft featuring characters and scenes from the popular animated franchise. The Kung Fu Panda stories are rooted in traditional Chinese culture and history, and Foss' design added those elements to the light-hearted movie themes.
For winning the design contest, Foss won two round-trip, business class tickets to China, as well as a week of accommodations at a luxury hotel.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
