Fictitious airlines in motion pictures
Airlines that never existed
Airplanes play an important role in many films. The airlines that represent them often don't exist. Here are some of the best examples.
In the french comedy «Ibiza» (2019) the patchwork family flies to the island with Ibizair. The airline carries an exceptionally elegant design in the movie.
In the sequel to «Dirty Harry» (1973) Clint Eastwood chases more criminals as Harold Francis Callahan. In a scene in «Magnum Force» a Sovereign Airways Boeing 707 can be seen. The same aircraft with small changes had other appearances in movies as Globe Airlines, Global Airways und Trans-Pacific Airways.
In the American comedy «Get Smart» (2008) the two main characters travel to Russia with Yarmi Airlines. The name seems to be a reference to the TV show of the same name, in which a pool player with the name Yarmi is mentioned.
The TV show «Lost», (2004) pilots with the crash of an Oceanic Airlines aircraft.
The same name was already meantioned in the action movie «Executive Decision» (1996). Unused film was later incorporated in a different movie «After the Sunset» (2004) with Pierce Brosnan or «Survivor» (2015), in which Brosnan played another role. The airline is mentioned as well in «Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason».
In the action movie «World War Z» (2013) a Belarus Airways aircraft takes off in Tel Aviv. Hero Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) boards the plane.
In the American comedy «The Hustle» (2019) con artist Penny (Rebel Wilson) flies in an airplane that definitely carries a Ryanair design. The tail shows the abbreviation JDA. The movie doesn’t mention what it stands for.
In the American thriller «Passenger 57» (1992) with Wesley Snipes a Lockheed L-1011 from Atlantic International Airlines is shown. The production company therefore rented a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.
In «Die Hard 2» (1990) there is a transatlantic flight from London to Washington. Despite rescue attempts from the hero John Mcclane (Bruce Willis), the Windsor Airlines aircraft still crashes due to terrorist activity. A Boeing 747 has a role in the same movie.
There’s an abundance of aircraft in «Die Hard 2 », the movie ultimately is about an airport. A Lockheed L-1011 makes from Northeastern Airlines makes an appearance as well.
In the second season of the show «Sex and the City» (2010) the main characters board an Afdal Air aircraft. The cabin and uniforms are very similar to those of Emirates.
In the french comedy «Ibiza» (2019) the patchwork family flies to the island with Ibizair. The airline carries an exceptionally elegant design in the movie.
In the sequel to «Dirty Harry» (1973) Clint Eastwood chases more criminals as Harold Francis Callahan. In a scene in «Magnum Force» a Sovereign Airways Boeing 707 can be seen. The same aircraft with small changes had other appearances in movies as Globe Airlines, Global Airways und Trans-Pacific Airways.
In the American comedy «Get Smart» (2008) the two main characters travel to Russia with Yarmi Airlines. The name seems to be a reference to the TV show of the same name, in which a pool player with the name Yarmi is mentioned.
The TV show «Lost», (2004) pilots with the crash of an Oceanic Airlines aircraft.
The same name was already meantioned in the action movie «Executive Decision» (1996). Unused film was later incorporated in a different movie «After the Sunset» (2004) with Pierce Brosnan or «Survivor» (2015), in which Brosnan played another role. The airline is mentioned as well in «Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason».
In the action movie «World War Z» (2013) a Belarus Airways aircraft takes off in Tel Aviv. Hero Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) boards the plane.
In the American comedy «The Hustle» (2019) con artist Penny (Rebel Wilson) flies in an airplane that definitely carries a Ryanair design. The tail shows the abbreviation JDA. The movie doesn’t mention what it stands for.
In the American thriller «Passenger 57» (1992) with Wesley Snipes a Lockheed L-1011 from Atlantic International Airlines is shown. The production company therefore rented a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.
In «Die Hard 2» (1990) there is a transatlantic flight from London to Washington. Despite rescue attempts from the hero John Mcclane (Bruce Willis), the Windsor Airlines aircraft still crashes due to terrorist activity. A Boeing 747 has a role in the same movie.
There’s an abundance of aircraft in «Die Hard 2 », the movie ultimately is about an airport. A Lockheed L-1011 makes from Northeastern Airlines makes an appearance as well.
In the second season of the show «Sex and the City» (2010) the main characters board an Afdal Air aircraft. The cabin and uniforms are very similar to those of Emirates.
The film “Cast Away” is an exception. In this movie, Tom Hanks travels as an employee on a business trip in a freighter of Fedex Express. The three-engine plane crashes over the Pacific Ocean and the protagonist has to survive on his own for four years on a small island in the South Seas.
The unusual: With Fedex, a real airline gets an appearance in the film. Especially in disaster movies, airlines usually don’t like to see themselves again. After all, passenger safety is an important criterion when booking.
A brand is often recycled
Film production companies therefore like to rely on fictitious airlines when they shoot. One of the best known is Oceanic Airlines. Since the sixties, the brand has been used repeatedly in films. The best known example of this is the TV series “Lost”. Flight 815 of the not really existing airline crashes in it, some passengers survive on a small island.
In 1996 Oceanic Airlines also had an appearance in the action movie “Executive Decision” with Kurt Russell, Halle Berry and Steven Seagal. At that time the team shot so many scenes with two real Boeing 747s of the fictitious airline, that many of them were not used, later on they were used in other film productions.
Formerly real airplanes, today computer animations
In the past, aircraft were often leased for the shooting. They were then specially painted with the characteristics of the fictitious airline. It was extremely expensive. Today, the machines and their colorful paintings are mostly created on the computer. Interior scenes are often shot in studios. Often the interior therefore does not match the shown aircraft model.
In the picture gallery above you will see more fictitious airlines from films.
And which fictitious airline do you remember? Tell us and your fellow readers about them in the comments.