MINSK, 12 December (BelTA) – The Belarusian air carrier Belavia's new aircraft themed after the MMO game World of Tanks has landed in the Minsk National Airport, BelTA has learned.

The new aircraft is the second joint project of the two companies. The aircraft is painted black. Its body bears the silhouette of a tank made up of camouflage in World of Tanks bright colors. A bison stands in the center of the composition as one of Belarus' key symbols.

The main idea behind the branded livery is to show the Belarusian origin of the internationally acclaimed game. While the first aircraft was themed after World of Tanks only on the outside, a lot of thought went into branding the interior of the second aircraft. It will be the world's first aircraft fully branded by a video game.

Andrei Muravyov, Wargaming head for CIS operations, said: “The bison is a large, powerful, noble creature. One can say it is a tank in the animal kingdom. World of Tanks has been promoting Belarus in all corners of the world for eight years already. A combination of the two images is the best way to connect the country and the product, which popularizes it before the entire world. We are proud of the fact that World of Tanks originated from Belarus.”

The aircraft interior has recreated the spirit of World of Tanks. Accompanying sounds will be unique and will use in-game terms. Many components of the interior design are fashioned using the game's style. Every table has a historical reference about a famous tank or a self-propelled gun. Passengers will be able to learn more about the evolution of tanks and about the CIS' largest gaming industry project. Plans have been made to adjust some parts of the uniforms of flight attendants and add more gaming identity to the salon.

Belavia Director General Anatoly Gusarov noted: “Taking care of wishes and expectations of our passengers is our primary goal. The first World of Tanks aircraft met a warm welcome in airports in many countries. We couldn't just terminate the project after that. This is why today in addition to presenting the new branded aircraft we are happy to announce that the first branded aircraft will stay in service, too. The company will have two ‘tankolets' – a Boeing 737-300 and an Embraer 195. We hope that by flying with us passengers will be able to begin new, always captivating and interesting journeys while residents of other countries will learn more about Belarus thanks to the unique livery.”

New soundtracks to play during flights have been made specifically for the new aircraft. As many as 22 specialists spent 11 days painting the aircraft in a hangar in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk. They used up 92 liters of paint, 115 liters of lacquer, 62 liters of paint primer, and 600 meters of film.

The Embraer 195 in World of Tanks livery will be used by Belavia for all kinds of flights for the next five years. The first commercial flight will be a flight from Minsk to Baku and back.