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DALLAS — Today, in 1997, Alitalia (AZ) unveiled its 'Baci Perugina' Boeing 747-200GE at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO).
The entire fuselage of one of AZ's Boeing 747s was painted in a blue livery to celebrate the Italian praline chocolate brand. The painting of the aircraft required 523 kg of paint, and 30 technicians worked on it for a total of 2,000 hours.
The stars and the text 'Baci dall’Italia, Baci da Alitalia' (Kisses from Italy, Kisses from Alitalia) were not stickers but hand-drawn instead. The newly-painted aircraft marked the successful commercial collaboration between AZ and Perugina.
'Baci Perugina' Operations
The next day, AZ's blue Queen of the Skies was placed en route on the FCO-New York JFK, the AZ610, and 611 on its return. Afterward, 'Baci Perugina' operated on all of AZ's Boeing 747 routes.
The type is now primarily famous as a collectible-scale model airplane, as anyone who searches for the 'Baci Perugina' Boeing 747 on the web will find out. The type is a nice look back to a year when the airline set up its regional subsidiary, Alitalia Express.
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Featured image: Perry Hoppe GFDL 1.2
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