Even the most literary-minded of us make pretty glaring spelling mistakes from time to time — but probably not as embarrassing as this one. Spelling a word wrong on an essay or job application is one thing, but misspelling the name of your own airline, on a massive commercial jet is quite another. Unfortunately, Cathay Pacific had to learn this lesson the hard way, as the Hong Kong-based airline accidentally painted its name as “Cathay Paciic” on the side of one of its jets.
Photo: HKADB/Cathay Pacific
Airline Spells Its Own Name Wrong on the Side of a Plane
Vigilant travelers noticed the mistake at Hong Kong International Airport, and dutifully contacted the airline. Taking the error relatively well, Cathay Pacific laughed at itself on Twitter, joking, “Oops this special livery won’t last long! She’s going back to the shop!”
Oops this special livery won’t last long! She’s going back to the shop!
(Source: HKADB) pic.twitter.com/20SRQpKXET— Cathay Pacific (@cathaypacific) September 19, 2018
While the airline insists it was a genuine mistake, others in the industry are suspicious.
“The spacing is too on-point for a mishap,” an engineer for Haeco, a sister company of Cathay Pacific, told the South China Morning Post. “There should be a blank gap in between letters if it was a real mistake I think.”
Whether it was a genuine mistake, an inside job, or foul play, we can all appreciate the humor in such a rare, high-flying error. 
H/T: BBC News