When the Raptors were retiring their first jersey ever — for the one and only Vince “Air Canada” Carter — we knew we had an opportunity to get basketball fans talking about Air Canada again, and a chance to honour his legacy and embolden ours.
While most retired players have their numbers raised to the rafters, we took Carter’s even higher, creating the world’s highest retirement ceremony for the league’s highest flyer. We made a custom aircraft styled after the banner that would be raised in the Raptor’s arena — complete with Carter’s number, signature, and iconic dunking silhouette.
Then, we put the plane into regular rotation in the Air Canada fleet, allowing number 15 to take off in Toronto again and ensuring his number would be raised to the skies with every flight from his jersey retirement through the end of the NBA regular season in April.
