In 1996, McDonald’s teamed up with Swiss airline Crossair and tour operator Hotelplan to turn a McDonnell Douglas MD‑83 into a flying McDonald’s restaurant. The jet — nicknamed the “McPlane” or “Flying Ketchup” — was painted red and yellow inside and out, with 161 branded seats and menus featuring burgers, nuggets, milkshakes, and soft drinks served at altitude. It flew leisure routes from Basel to Mediterranean holiday spots as a bold marketing experiment well before “viral campaigns” were a thing. Fries weren’t on the menu due to safety and preparation limits in the air, and after a short run the aircraft was repainted and returned to normal service. If you could take a “McPlane” flight today, what meal would you order first? #McDonalds# #McPlane# #FlyingRestaurant# #MarketingHistory#

Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary McLane is planning to deploy self-driving trucking technology from Aurora Innovation on routes in Texas and across the U.S. Sun Belt by the end of the year, expanding on an autonomous freight pilot program the companies began in 2023. More details: