National airlines have begun decorating their fleets with designs alluding to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Aerolíneas Argentinas painted Messi's jersey number on the tail of a Boeing 737, while Air Algerie incorporated a fox as a symbol of its national team. For passengers, this means the excitement of the tournament is experienced from boarding, turning the trip into a themed experience.
The engineering behind ephemeral liveries ✈️
Applying a special design to an aircraft is not just about aesthetics. High-resistance aerodynamic vinyls are used that withstand cruising speeds and pressure changes. The process requires partial disassembly of surfaces, ink calibration, and adhesion tests. Each livery can take up to two weeks to install and adds about 50 kilos of extra weight, forcing a recalculation of the center of gravity and fuel consumption.
The flying fox and the jersey number nobody asked for 🦊
While Air Algerie chose a fox to represent cunning, one wonders if the animal knows it's going at 900 km/h. And Messi's jersey number on the Argentine tail raises doubts: if the plane turns, will the fans celebrate it like a nutmeg? The truth is that themed planes compete with decorated buses, but at least these don't get stuck in airport traffic.