The world’s largest flying salmon took its final swim upstream Tuesday.
Salmon Thirty Salmon II — a 91,000-pound Alaska Airlines plane painted with a 129-foot king salmon design — has long flown the route known as the Milk Run from Seattle through Southeast Alaska. The route goes through Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau on the way to its natal runway, in Anchorage, where the plane’s design was first unveiled.
Travelers boarding the last flight received shirts, hats and other swag, including free tickets, according to airline spokesperson Tim Thompson, who was on the flight. Thompson said the passengers included 30 Alaska Airlines employees who were selected from more than 800 who applied for the opportunity to ride on the ceremonial flight.
Thompson clarified that the flying salmon may still be in use for another few days, but that this was its ceremonial last flight — and it will be repainted soon.
In a written statement Monday, Alaska Airlines newsroom added it appreciates the love people have shown for the Salmon Thirty Salmon throughout the years, and acknowledged the importance of salmon to the people of Alaska and the West Coast. The statement added that the airline looks forward to unveiling an “incredible new design soon” that “celebrates the culture and people of Alaska and our connection to the places we fly.”
Photojournalist Brandon Farris with Airways Magazine first announced the retirement of the giant salmon on Twitter in late February, citing an internal company post. Alaska Airlines then confirmed to the Alaska Beacon in late February that the jet would fly its final ceremonial flight before being repainted. The news came as a blow to some aviation enthusiasts, who circulated a petition that garnered more than 2,000 signatures to save the intricately painted livery.
Trident Seafoods bid goodbye to the salmon in a Facebook post just as it began its final flight Monday, saying the plane has been a visual commitment to seafood sustainability and responsible fishing practices.
Alaska Airlines debuted a salmon-painted plane in 2005— the first rendition of the Salmon Thirty Salmon. The name for the design came from an incident in the 1980s when a bald eagle dropped a salmon on an Alaska Airlines flight.
The original giant fish design was painted over in 2011, and the airline debuted a new Salmon Thirty Salmon II design in 2012. The updated design was produced in partnership with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, which promotes Alaska seafood products worldwide.
