Welcome, Aboard Your Flight Of Fictional Fantasy
by: Phillip Nicholson
Air travel is second nature to most of the world population these days, with routes available all over the globe, airlines are continually introducing new hubs, bigger, more technically advanced aircraft with specialized service and comfort– all with the hopes of gaining that prestigious title of No1 airline.
From purchasing your ticket to check-in, and beyond, creating a seamless, enjoyable experience, is what many airlines strive for. Imagine you’re at the airport, the check-in was relatively smooth, you’re relaxed. It’s time to board and you walk down the jetway, make your way to the plane and your seat, you flick through the magazine you’ve purchased in the terminal knowing in just a few short hours you’ll have reached your “Final Destination”. Would you be still as relaxed and carefree if the airline you’d chosen to fly with had been involved in multiple crashes, airline hijackings or in-flight malfunctions? The simple answer is NO!
The world of cinema is a very profitable industry and has continued to grow since the early days of the silent movie stars rescuing damsels on the train tracks to today’s latest explosive disaster-laden million dollar blockbuster. Now think of yourself as a CEO of an international airline and the financial obligations you make for your company in the hopes of reaching with all your grasp for that aforementioned coveted title of the No1 airline. But with the added difference that you’ve just allowed your name to be featured in a aircraft disaster or hijacked/international terrorism scenario themed movie. You aren’t going to be featuring on the pages of Forbes anytime soon if you’ve got empty aircraft and no scheduled service all because your potential passengers have been scared witless by their most recent visit to the theater which has resulted in little to no bookings. This is where the astute movie company art & design department come in with their extremely talented way of inventing the non-existent international airlines. Some fictitious airlines included names like. Paradise Airlines, ATW (American Trans World), Trans Con, Atlantic International, Columbia, South Pacific, Air Nova, Federation World, Volee, TransGlobal, Trans Allied, Fresh Air and Aqualantic. They all suffer at the hands of terrorists, experience explosive decompression, an outbreak of poisonous snakes onboard, involvement in mid-air collisions, trips through space and time, and even a crash with horrific consequences! But this all happened to fictional brands protecting real airlines from potential bankruptcy.