What goes up, must come down, apparently.
Alaska Airlines is planning to paint over its iconic “Salmon Thirty Salmon” Boeing plane, effectively ending the life of the nearly 20-year-old flying fish, according to a report in the Alaska Beacon.
The aircraft, which is painted stem to stern with the picture of an Alaska salmon, has been part of the airline's fleet since 2005, when the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) funded the paint job as part of its efforts to promote Alaska seafood.
"While it is sad to see the Salmon Thirty Salmon be retired, ASMI looks forward to future designs that celebrate Alaska, and our continued partnership with Alaska Airlines," Jeremy Woodrow, executive director of ASMI, told IntraFish.
Fans of the plane, however, are fighting to change Alaska Airline's plans. A petition was launched on change.org in February with the hopes that a flood of signatures will motivate the airline to change its mind and let the Salmon Thirty Salmon live on.
The airlines will continue, however, to celebrate the state of Alaska in its plane's designs, said Woodrow.
"Alaska Airlines is a world-class company and has a great vision to continue celebrating Alaska and their connection to the people and history of the state of Alaska through the artwork on their planes," he said.
