Winter's in the air: Allegiant introduces new plane featuring rescued dolphin

CLEARWATER, Fla. – She's appeared on the big screen and draws thousands of visitors to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, but now Winter is going miles high with her latest milestone.

To mark its partnership with the aquarium, Allegiant Airlines rolled out a new plane featuring an image of the rescued bottlenose dolphin. According to Allegiant Air, Winter the Dolphin Airbus 320 will be based at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.

"We're very excited to be partners with Clearwater Marine Aquarium and feature Winter on our plane," an Allegiant spokesperson said.

Allegiant also said Winter is the only CMA animal being featured on a plane's livery, but it is open to new designs featuring other favorite CMA animals. 

Winter was found back in 2005, with her tail caught in a crab trap in Mosquito Lagoon, near Cape Canaveral. She was transported to Clearwater for treatment, but due to the extent of her injuries, Winter lost her entire tail fluke.

Winter's recovery and her prosthetic tale have inspired many over the years, and her story was even featured in the films "Dolphin Tale" and "Dolphin Tale 2".