How airlines turn their planes into flying billboards

"To celebrate its 500th aircraft, Turkish Airlines produced a striking flying mural of the faces of 100,000 employees who've contributed to its success over the decades. A spokesperson said staff have enjoyed trying to spot their faces on the one-of-a-kind Airbus A350, like a giant game of Where's Waldo. As part of the unveiling event, the new A350 flew the flight number TK500 and followed a path spelling "500" in the sky."

"Turkish Airlines' project took about a year, with roughly 300 pounds of material applied over five days, and the photos were adjusted to match the carrier's standard colors - white, red, and black - using multiple shades of red to add visual depth. Everything was done in-house and required the collaboration of multiple teams. If this had been a paint job, it likely would have taken weeks longer; the shorter timeframe was possible because the airline used what it described as "high-grade aviation stickers.""

"Airlines have long turned their planes into flying billboards to showcase their brand, culture, and identity in the skies. Airlines can use liveries to go beyond their tail designs: think United Airlines' Star Wars plane or the Pokémon liveries on several Asian carriers. Unique liveries like this are a particularly clever way to grab attention. Airlines may see the payoff in new customers, social media buzz, or, in some cases, revenue from sponsors or marketing partnerships tied to the livery."

Airlines use aircraft liveries as flying billboards to showcase brand, culture, and identity, ranging from tail stripes to full-body wraps and themed designs. Turkish Airlines created a commemorative A350 mural featuring the faces of 100,000 employees to mark its 500th aircraft, flying flight TK500 along a path that spelled “500.” The project took about a year, used roughly 300 pounds of high-grade aviation stickers applied over five days, and involved in-house collaboration to adjust photos to the carrier’s white, red, and black palette. Stickers shortened the timeframe versus paint and reduce added weight and cost.

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