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Starlux Airlines' 'Sorayama Silver' art plane to debut in Tokyo July 12

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Starlux Airlines will launch its "Sorayama Silver" art plane on a maiden flight to Tokyo on July 12.
  • The Airbus A350-1000, designed in collaboration with artist Hajime Sorayama, features a unique silver livery that required six months of paint development.
  • The airline plans to expand routes for the art plane to Phoenix and Prague, with themed amenities launching in October.

Starlux Airlines is set to unveil its "Sorayama Silver" art plane, a collaboration with Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, with its inaugural flight to Tokyo scheduled for July 12. The specially designed Airbus A350-1000, bearing the registration B-58553, was delivered to Taiwan recently, with Chairman Chang Kuo-wei personally piloting it.

The Sorayama Silver is expected to make its maiden flight to Tokyo next Sunday.

— Chang Kuo-weiStarlux Airlines Chairman Chang Kuo-wei announced the planned maiden flight date for the art plane.

Chang explained that achieving the desired silver metallic finish for the "Sorayama Silver" plane was a complex process. The aircraft's composite material naturally has a grayish-black hue, and excessive use of metallic paint could affect performance. It took six months just to develop the right paint to capture Sorayama's original silver aesthetic. The chairman highlighted the synergy between Sorayama's pursuit of unique aesthetic concepts and Starlux's brand philosophy, describing their collaboration as a "perfect match" aimed at creating a "world's largest aerial masterpiece."

It took six months just to develop the paint to capture the original silver aesthetic of Hajime Sorayama's design.

— Chang Kuo-weiStarlux Airlines Chairman Chang Kuo-wei explained the challenges in achieving the aircraft's unique livery.

Despite facing challenges, including a delay to the Tokyo flight from Saturday to Sunday due to Typhoon Baris, Chang expressed gratitude for continued support. He urged critics to refrain from negative online comments, assuring that the airline would strive for improvement. The airline also announced that themed amenities, including boarding passes, luggage tags, cups, and napkins, will be available starting October 1. Long-haul flights will feature special amenity kits for economy and premium economy classes. Additionally, a signature cocktail, "Sorayama Special - Mirror Sky," will be offered onboard.

Sorayama's works are known for pursuing a unique worldview of personal aesthetics, which perfectly aligns with Starlux Airlines' brand philosophy.

— Chang Kuo-weiStarlux Airlines Chairman Chang Kuo-wei described the synergy between the artist and the airline.

Sorayama himself, though unable to attend the event, appeared in a video message expressing his honor in participating in such a large-scale project, calling it his most extensive work to date. He described the experience as more enjoyable than work and encouraged everyone to see the art plane in person.

Please stop the online trolling and we will continue to work hard.

— Chang Kuo-weiStarlux Airlines Chairman Chang Kuo-wei addressed online criticism.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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