Fictional airline

The logo of the fictional airline Oceanic Airlines used in the television series Lost .

Fictional airlines are fictional air transport companies that are used in novels , computer games , films and television series , mostly for stories in the course of which airliners get caught in an emergency, are hijacked or have an accident.

Real airlines place great value on their customers' sense of security and do not want to be associated with negative events. Aviation companies arrange for their logos and company emblems to be removed or pasted over from crashed aircraft. As a rule, companies do not consent to the use of their brand names in disaster films because they could be detrimental to business. For reasons of trademark protection, the producers must therefore switch to the names of airlines that do not exist. Often they are based on real company names so that the names they make sound credible. An example of this is the Trans Global Airlines (TGA) known from the film Airport , whose name is similar to that of the real airline Trans World Airlines (TWA).

If, on the other hand, the film has an advertising effect or some other benefit for the airline, the companies usually give permission for their brand to be used or actively support the shooting (see product placement ). For example, American Airlines supported the shooting of the film Up in the Air (2009) and then used a modified version of the film poster to advertise its own frequent flyer program . In addition, the names of existing airlines can be used in documentaries or in films about historical events without the producers having to fear legal consequences. Examples of this are the feature films Mogadishu and Flight 93 as well as the internationally broadcast Canadian documentary series Mayday - Alarm im Cockpit .

In older film productions, aircraft were usually rented for the duration of the shooting and painted in the colors of the fictional airline or, alternatively, only provided with their lettering and logo. In addition, models and blue screen technology were often used for shooting. Newer productions mostly use computer animation , which can reduce production costs and achieve more spectacular effects.

Oceanic Airlines

A with the logo of Oceanic Airlines -provided advertising for the television series Lost in Atocha .

The name Oceanic (Airlines) was first used in the movie Lonely Decision (1996) with Steven Seagal , for whose shooting two Boeing 747s were given the lettering of this fictional company. The abbreviation OA and the colors are reminiscent of the airline Olympic Airlines , which existed at the time and, as in the film, offered flights from Athens to the USA.

Several productions with a low budget took advantage of the opportunity to acquire the rights to the flight scenes and then used them in their own films. In contrast to the airline of the same name from the television series Lost, the paintwork of this fictional company did not contain any elements from Aboriginal art . In addition, there was an Italian cargo airline called Ocean Airlines between 2003 and 2008 , which also briefly leased one of the Boeing 747s used in the film Lonely Decision in 2004 . This aircraft has now been dismantled into its individual parts at Ahlhorn airfield .

The television series Lost , which was produced from 2004 to 2010 and is about the survivors of the crashed flight " Oceanic 815 ", gave the fictional airline Oceanic Airlines a high profile that was used commercially. As an advertising measure for the TV series Lost, a separate homepage was created for the fictional society. In addition, the website televisionwithoutpity.com offered a limited edition of shirts and bags that were printed with the words Oceanica Airlines (similar to the one from the series Lost ) and the slogan “Getting halfway there is all the fun!”. The name Oceanic (Airlines) was also mentioned in other films and TV series, including in the film Category 6 - The Day of the Tornado (2004) and in the TV series Alias ​​- Die Agentin (2001 to 2006) and also produced by JJ Abrams in the series "Castle" Season 7, Episode 21 (2015)

List of fictional airlines from films and TV series

The following aircraft from fictional airlines have been shown in feature films and television productions:

Name of the fictional airline	Name of the movie or TV series	Aircraft type shown	Remarks
Aalto Airlines	Flightplan - Without any trace (2005)	without example	The film was shot with a two-story model that resembles an Airbus A380 (fictional name of the type: Elgin 474).
Afdal Air	Sex and the City 2 (2010)	Airbus A380	The interior views of the First Class and the on-board bar are closely based on the equipment of the Airbus A380 at Emirates .
Air O	Kill Bill - Volume 1 (2003)	Boeing 747	Computer animation
AirGermany	Factor 8 - The day has come	Airbus A340	Computer animation
Ajira Airways	Lost (2005-2010)	Boeing 737	Computer animation
Scrap iron airlines	Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996)	Boeing 747-100	Cartoon series
American Pride	The Langoliers (1995)	Lockheed L-1011	The plane was hired by Trans World Airlines for the filming .
American Travelways Airlines (ATW)	Delta Force (1986)	Boeing 707	The aircraft was leased from the Israeli MAOF Airlines.
Aqualantic	Non-Stop (2014)	Boeing 767	Computer animation
Atlantic International Airlines	Passenger 57 (1992)	Lockheed L-1011	The aircraft was rented from the leasing company IAL.
Atlantic Southeastern Airlines	The Spirit of Flight 401 (1978)	Lockheed L-1011	A Trans World Airlines plane was used for ground scenes, and flight scenes were shot with models.
Belarus Airways	World War Z (2013)	Airbus A310	Computer animation
Bennett Airline	Big Air and Hot Love (1959)	Consolidated PBY	The film was shot with a flying boat as well as with models and blue screen technology.
Canada World Airways	Dread flight of the Boeing 767 (1990)	Boeing 767	The plot is based on a real life incident (see Air Canada Flight 143 ).
Columbia Airlines	Airport '75 - Giants in the Sky (1975)	Boeing 747	The plane was leased from American Airlines .
Consolidated Airlines	Conqueror of Death (1964)	Douglas DC-6	Use of a DC-6 model airplane that was improperly equipped with jet engines.
Con West Airlines	Fire aboard Flight 1501 (1990)	McDonnell Douglas MD-80	Use of models and blue screen technology.
Domaine Airlines	Air Panic (2002)	Airbus A320	Computer animation, scenes on the ground were filmed with an Indian Airlines Airbus A320 .
Europe Airline	Crashpoint - 90 Minutes to Crash (2009)	Boeing 737	Computer animation
Far East Pacific	Otto - The Movie (1985)	Boeing 747	Use of models and blue screen technology.
Federation World Airlines (FWA)	Airport '80 - The Concorde (1980)	Concorde	Use of models and blue screen technology, and an Air France Concorde was rented for flight scenes .
Fox Airways	Emergency landing (1948)	Douglas DC-3	The plot is based on a real accident (see plane crash on the Gauli Glacier ).
Fuji Air	Die Hard 2 (1990)	Lockheed L-1011	Use of models and blue screen technology.
Global Airways	Hell's End (1972)	Boeing 707	The aircraft was rented from World Airways and was used for scenes on the ground and for flight scenes.
Harris Freight	Six Days, Seven Nights (1998)	de Havilland Beaver	Several DHC-2 aircraft were chartered for filming and painted accordingly.
Maple Leaf Air Charter	Flight in Danger (1964)	Douglas DC-4	The aircraft was leased from the Balair airline .
Nashawn Wade Airlines	Soul Plane (2004)	Boeing 747	Computer animation of an aircraft that resembles a Boeing 747.
North East Airlines (NEA)	Die Hard 2 (1990)	Lockheed L-1011	Use of models and blue screen technology.
Oceanic (Airlines)	Lonely Decision (1996)	Boeing 747	A Kalitta Air aircraft was used for the flight scenes and a decommissioned Corse Air Boeing 747 for the scenes on the ground.
Oceanic (Airlines)	Panic Air (2000)	Boeing 747	Repeated use of the scenes from the film Lonely Decision .
Oceanic Airlines	Lost (2005-2010)	Boeing 777	Computer animation
Oceanic Airlines	Survivor (2015)		A terrorist flies with Oceanic from London to the USA
Oceanic Airways	Air Terror (2003)	Boeing 747SP	A Qantas Boeing 747SP was used for the scenes on the ground, the flight scenes were computer animations.
Pan Continental Airlines	Left Behind (2014)	Airbus A330	real airplane and computer animation
Paradise Airlines	Disaster Flight 243 (1990)	Boeing 737	The plot is based on a real incident (see Aloha Airlines flight 243 ).
Peninsula Airlines	Flying Lovers (2013)	Airbus A340	Computer animation
Plymouth Air	Knowing - The future ends now (2009)	Airbus A320	Computer animation of an aircraft that resembles an Airbus A320, but the arrangement of the doors is contrary to the original.
Polar Atlantic Airways	Fly to happiness with me (1963)	Boeing 707	The plane was leased from Pan American World Airways .
Royalty Airlines / Royalty Express	Flight girls	Convair CV-240
Royce Air	Lightning strike in the cockpit - catastrophe in the clouds (1996)	Boeing 747	Repeated use of the scenes from the film Lonely Decision .
Sky Wing Airlines	Flight 507 - Trapped in a Time Hole (2007)	Boeing 737	Computer animation of an aircraft that resembles a Boeing 737.
South Jet Air	Flight (2012)	McDonnell Douglas MD-80	Computer-animated model of an MD-80 with winglets that are contrary to the original .
South Pacific Airlines	Snakes on a Plane (2006)	Boeing 747	Computer animation
Sovereign Airways	Dirty Harry II (1973)	Boeing 707	The plane was rented from World Airways .
Stevens Corporation	Airport '77 - Lost in the Bermuda Triangle (1977)	Boeing 747	The plane was leased from American Airlines .
Trans American	The Incredible Journey in a Crazy Plane (1980)	Boeing 707	A rented aircraft from Trans World Airlines was used for ground scenes, flight scenes were shot with a model.
Trans Canada Charter	714 does not answer (1957)	Douglas DC-4	The plot was taken up again in the German film Flight in Danger (1964).
Transcon Airways	SOS in the Clouds (1976)	Boeing 727	The plane was rented from World Airways .
Trans Continental Airlines (TCA)	Turbulence (1997)	Boeing 747	The film was shot with a Japan Airlines aircraft and with models and blue screen technology.
Trans Continental Airlines (TCA)	Ground Control (1998)	Boeing 747	Re-use of the flight scenes from the film Turbulence .
Trans Global Airlines	Airport (1970)	Boeing 707	The aircraft was rented from the Flying Tiger Line and used for the scenes on the ground as well as for flight scenes.
Trans Orient Pacific	It's always day (1954)	Douglas DC-4	The aircraft was leased from Transocean Air Lines for the filming .
Trans Pacific Airlines	Lost in the Pacific (1969)	Boeing 707	The aircraft was leased from Standard Airways.
Trans States Airlines	SOS for flight T 17 (1960)	Douglas DC-6	Use of a rented aircraft from National Airlines and use of models and blue screen technology.
TS Airlines	The Horror of Medusa (1978)	Boeing 747	Use of a model and blue screen technology.
Union Atlantic Airways	Cloud Atlas (2012)	Fokker F28	Computer animation
Volée Airlines	Final Destination (2000), Final Destination 5 (2011)	Boeing 747	Use of a model and computer animation
Wayfarer	Breaking Bad (2009)	Boeing 737	Computer animation
Windsor	Die Hard 2 (1990)	Douglas DC-8	Use of models and blue screen technology.

See also

• Virtual airline (flight simulation)
• Trademark (law)
• Finder-Spyder , fictional search engine company
• ACME , fictional company
• Morleys , fictional brand of cigarettes

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Photos of a crashed Alitalia aircraft [1]
2. ↑ Direct Marketing News, February 15, 2010 [2]
3. ↑ Photo of the Boeing 747 F-GIMJ from the film Lonely Decision [3]
4. ↑ Photo of the Boeing 747 N801KH that was rented for the film Lonely Decision . [4]
5. ↑ The Hopeful Traveler, information on the film Flightplan [5]
6. ↑ thehopefultraveler.blogspot.de - Afdal Airlines on "Sex and the City 2": A Copy of the Emirates A380 (English) August 19, 2012
7. ↑ The interesting story of the Boeing 707 from the film Delta Force , Austrian Wings [6]
8. ↑ airlines-airliners.de, information about the aircraft from the film Passenger 57 [7]
9. ↑ Film Ghost of Flight 401 on youtube.com [8]
10. ↑ ^{a b c} Forgotten Classics on airodyssey.net
11. ↑ Film Mystery of Flight 1501 on youtube.com [9]
12. ↑ airodyssey.net, information on the film Endstation Hölle [10]
13. ↑ Film Flight in Danger on youtube.com [11]
14. ↑ Information about the film Air Terror - Killer Hunt over the Pacific on imdb.com [12]
15. ↑ IMPDb Left Behind 2014
16. ↑ Miracle Landing (Movie review) on airodyssey.net [13]
17. ↑ Photo of the aircraft from the film The Knowing [14]
18. ↑ impdb.org, photos from the film The unbelievable journey in a crazy airplane [15]
19. ↑ Excerpt from the film SOS in the Clouds on youtube.com [16]
20. ↑ Still photos and trailer of the film Ground Control on reelz.com Archive link ( Memento of the original from April 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
21. ↑ imdb.com, information about the film Airport [17]
22. ↑ Trans Ocean Air Lines, information about the shooting of the film It always becomes day [18]
23. ^ History of the VH-EBB aircraft on adastron.com [19]
24. ↑ Photo of the airplane model from the film The Terror of Medusa [20]