How Airlines Turn Their Planes Into Flying Billboards

From tail stripes to full-body wraps, 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.

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.

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.

Turkish Airlines told Business Insider about the behind-the-scenes work that went into the massive sticker job.

Turkish Airlines used stickers instead of paint

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.”

These decals are essentially large, specialized graphics that can be molded to an aircraft’s curved surface. Airlines often use them because they’re lighter than paint — cutting fuel burn — faster to install, easier to remove or update, and well-suited for intricate, multi-colored designs.

Southwest Airlines, for example, has used decals for its Disney-themed aircraft. Emirates once applied a massive decal of Real Madrid footballers across both levels of an Airbus A380.

Making all of the Turkish staff faces fit on a curved plane wasn’t as simple as sticking them on — it took detailed planning, color coordination, 3D modeling, and precise placement around doors, windows, and other tricky areas.

Precision isn’t just cosmetic: even small misalignments could create turbulence, increase drag, or risk panels peeling off at high speeds. It’s like wrapping a car, but aircraft vinyl has to withstand the harsh conditions at 35,000 feet.

A clearcoat protects the decals from UV exposure, physical impacts, and extreme temperatures, and the material is durable enough to endure smoke, engine exhaust, and de-icing fluid.

Some special liveries have gone viral

Turkish Airlines joins dozens of carriers that have flown unique liveries.

Planes have sported everything from Hello Kitty and Pokémon to national sports teams and reality TV shows. The ones that are painted can add significantly more time and complexity than applying decals.

Taiwan-based China Airlines’ viral “Pikachu Jet,” an Airbus A321neo, required 36 paint types and 21 days of work by 20 technicians.

A particularly complex Qantas Airbus A220 involved 100 painters to apply more than 20,000 unique dots in varying shades of blue, green, yellow, and white.

Painters layer colors using stencils and masking to create precise shapes and gradients across the fuselage and tail; the paint is engineered for durability, UV resistance, and adhesion.

Standard liveries are simpler, but still usually involve multiple coats, and the edges and curves are carefully painted to prevent cracking and withstand high-speed airflow.

Paint jobs aren’t cheap. Airlines rarely disclose exact costs, but industry estimates range from $50,000 to $300,000 per aircraft, depending on size and complexity. Decals are generally less expensive, in the low tens of thousands, before labor and special materials.