- Special livery on the occasion of the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss
- Boeing 777 bears the silhouette of the famous Austrian composer on the side
- Austrian Airlines CEO Annette Mann: “Every year, the Danube Waltz is played more than 200,000 times on board our aircraft before take-off and after landing. Johann Strauss' masterpiece clearly represents a great piece of tradition and home for us.”
As part of the Vienna Tourist Board's annual theme “King of Waltz. Queen of Music.” the Austrian National carrier Austrian Airlines has decorated one of its Boeing 777s with a contemporary interpretation of the King of Waltz, Johann Strauss. Tonight, the “Strauss plane” starts its journey as a flying ambassador of the world's music capital Vienna, its first stop being the capital of the Maldives, Malé.
The artistic design of the aircraft emphasizes Vienna's international appeal and the close partnership between Vienna Tourist Board and Austrian Airlines. The Boeing long-haul aircraft bears the silhouette of Johann Strauss, his name and musical motifs such as a violin on the side. The copper engraving look of the Waltz King lends classic charm, while modern headphones symbolize the link between tradition and the present.
Special tradition
“Every year, the Danube Waltz is played more than 200,000 times on board our aircraft before take-off and after landing. Johann Strauss' masterpiece clearly represents a great piece of tradition and home for us. It is therefore a great pleasure for us to carry a flying tribute to Johann Strauss and his works out into the world with our special livery”, emphasizes Austrian Airlines CEO Annette Mann.
“In 2025, Vienna will be celebrating the 200th birthday of the Waltz King – with 65 productions on around 250 performance days in all 23 districts. Johann Strauss is a major attraction for culturally interested audiences from Austria and abroad. The 'Strauss Aircraft’ builds a symbolic bridge here: Once again, the Waltz King crosses national borders and connects people all over the world. This strengthens Vienna's connection to the world and provides impetus for the visitor economy, the business location and the Viennese people”, says Vienna City Councillor for Economic Affairs Peter Hanke, President of the Vienna Tourist Board.
“The newly designed Boeing 777 of our long-standing partner Austrian Airlines will not only take over an important feeder function for the Asian region for the time being, but also underlines once again the importance of Johann Strauss for the global perception of Vienna. As the 'King of Waltz', he is an indispensable icon of Vienna, the capital of world music. His melodies are deeply rooted in the city's DNA and embody the unique Viennese attitude to life. In this anniversary year, we have deliberately chosen a contemporary approach to bring the superstar into the 21st century,” emphasizes Norbert Kettner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board.
Strauss lives on: from outer space to Vienna's alleyways
The mini-documentary “Space Anthem” (spaceanthem.wien.info) in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) was the first major production of the Vienna Tourist Board on the occasion of its annual theme “King of Waltz. Queen of Music” (strauss.wien.info). It poses the question of why Strauss' iconic Danube Waltz – omnipresent in popular culture as a “space anthem” – did not make it onto the Voyager Golden Record in 1977 and thus into space. For those staying on Earth in 2025, the approximately 30-minute “Johann Strauss Walk” in the award-winning city guide app “ivie” (ivie.wien.info) takes you to eleven stations where the Waltz King made music - accompanied by his unforgettable music.
Tags: Annette Mann, Austrian Airlines, Norbert Kettner, Vienna Tourist Board, Peter Hanke
