Etihad Airways and Universal Pictures today unveiled the luxury Fast & Furious 777 airliner at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Actor/producer Vin Diesel was on hand as Etihad Airways Flight 171 arrived from Abu Dhabi to kick off the global junket and world premiere of Furious 7. The film arrives in theaters on April 3.
Representing a welcome first for the franchise, the Fast & Furious 777 will fly the direct route between Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles, which Etihad Airways opened in June 2014. The airline is also sponsor of the Furious 7 world premiere, which takes place in Los Angeles on April 1.
As the United Arab Emirates offered an opportunity to inject striking elements and locales into the seriesโ mythology, Abu Dhabi became a key location for the Furious 7 production. Over the course of two weeks in April 2014, the team lensed in areas outside Abu Dhabi in the Liwa Desert, as well as in the city center at such locations as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Emirates Palace hotel, the Yas Marina F1 race circuit and the Etihad Towers. Considering Abu Dhabiโs striking skylineโone accentuated with stunning architectural achievementsโaerial shots of the skyscrapers were mandatory.
โEtihad Airways is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world with a strong history of culture and innovation and a commitment to reimagining the travel experience for our guests,โ said Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways. โWe are pleased to work together with Universal, an organization which shares that same spirit of innovation and reimagination when it comes to the world of entertainment, to unveil our newly-decaled Boeing 777 aircraft in support of the Fast & Furious franchise, and Furious 7 which premieres next month and highlights our airlineโs home of Abu Dhabi.โ
โWhen we began filming The Fast and the Furious in 2000, if you told me that we would one day have our logo on a wide-body jet, I would have said you were crazy,โ said producer Neal H. Moritz, who has shepherded all seven films in the series.
โWe are so honored that Etihad has partnered with us to support this very personal film, and we thank the people of the United Arab Emirates for all the kindness and graciousness they showed throughout production.โ
The Fast & Furious decal will remain on the plane for the next four to six months.
Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris โLudacrisโ Bridges and Jordana Brewster return to form a furious team of seven family members united in purpose. They are joined by Fast fan favorites Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black, as well new additions to the ensemble including Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou, Ronda Rousey and Tony Jaa.
With Furious 7, this crew heads across the globe for one last ride together in their most gravity-defying and emotional adventure to date. And as they form a tighter band than ever: The Furious 7โDom, Brian, Hobbs, Letty, Roman, Tej and Miaโthey will face their greatest threat yet in places as far away as Abu Dhabi and Azerbaijanโฆand as familiar as the streets they call home.