Today is May the fourth, or, to many fans, Star Wars Day, an event that has been celebrated informally since 2011. For those who may be wondering why, May the fourth sounds a lot like "may the force [be with you]," a famous Star Wars quotation. To celebrate this wonderful sci-fi day, we decided to take a look at six great Star Wars liveries that airlines from around the world have put on their planes.

All Nippon Airways

What better way to start than with All Nippon Airways? The Japanese carrier has taken a liking to Star Wars, and two of its aircraft currently have special liveries based on the movie franchise's characters. It also previously had a third.

As pictured above, JA873A is a four-year-old Boeing 787-9. The aircraft currently wears a special livery that is based on the character R2-D2. According to data from ATDB.aero, this aircraft was delivered in its Star Wars livery.

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An ANA Boeing 777 in BB-8 Star Wars Livery.
Photo: Arif Delviawan/Shutterstock

JA789A is another ANA aircraft that had a Star Wars livery, with the special paint scheme, this time, having been applied to a Boeing 777-300ER. This aircraft's unique colors are based on another character, namely BB-8. While JA789A was delivered to ANA in 2010, data from ATDB.aero shows that it only got its Star Wars paint scheme in 2016. It is now in storage, having been withdrawn last year.

ANA Boeing 777 C-3PO Star Wars Livery
Photo: Sudpoth Sirirattanasakul/Shutterstock

Last but not least, on the ANA Star Wars front is, of course, C-3PO. This mainly yellow scheme adorns a Boeing 777-200ER jet registered as JA743A. While this aircraft was delivered in 2013, it didn't get its paint scheme until 2017.

United Airlines

Possibly the most well-known aircraft in North America, in terms of those with Star Wars liveries, is a United Airlines Boeing 737-800. This aircraft was specially painted black for the release of the film 'The Rise of Skywalker.'

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Bearing the registration N36272, the twinjet was delivered to Continental Airlines in 2001, before transferring to United in 2010. This aircraft received its Star Wars livery in late 2019, and it remained present until February 2022.

Virgin Atlantic

One Star Wars-themed livery that, sadly, is no longer in the skies is Virgin Atlantic's Millenium Falcon livery. This saw a Boeing 747, registered as G-VLIP, fly around the world with the starship painted on its side. The airline even released a limited-edition supply of its famous salt and pepper shakers to mark the occasion!

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 Star Wars Millennium Falcon Livery
Photo: Liner/Shutterstock

Although delivered in 2001, the aircraft only received its unique scheme in September 2019. Previously, it had also worn a special livery advertising the Harry Potter franchise. The onset of coronavirus forced its withdrawal in 2020.

LATAM

Last but not least in the Star Wars livery saga sees LATAM siding with none other than the antagonist Darth Vader himself. The South American carrier repainted its Boeing 777, PT-MUA, in the colors of the Dark Side in September 2019, with the striking livery featuring a Stormtrooper sitting high and mighty on the tail.

LATAM Boeing 777 Star Wars Stormtrooper Livery
Photo: Matheus Obst/Shutterstock

The scheme was, like Virgin Atlantic's Millenium Falcon livery, designed to tie in with the Galaxy's Edge theme park area at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Which Star Wars livery is your favorite? Have you ever seen, or even flown on, any of these aircraft yourself? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Source: ATDB.aero