John Travolta arrived at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in a way few Hollywood stars could manage: he flew himself there.
On Friday, May 15, the acting icon shared a video on Instagram showing himself and daughter, Ella Bleu, boarding his private plane ahead of the premiere of Propeller One-Way Night Coach, his directorial debut.
The film was written, directed, narrated, and produced by the longtime actor, while Ella Bleu also appears in the movie.
In the video, before boarding the plane, John Travolta stands outside next to his daughter, announcing:
“So, we’re going for the world premiere of Propeller One-Way Night Coach. Ella and I are really excited about this. So, we’ll see you there.”
The clip also shows the Pulp Fiction star in the pilot seat, speaking through the boom mic:
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Our flying time tonight to Nice, France is eight hours and 45 minutes. Sit back, enjoy the flight, and the champagne is on me.”
John Travolta has been a licensed pilot since he was 22 and has been an ambassador for Qantas Airways since 2002.
Throughout his aviation career, he has become qualified to pilot several different planes, such as the Boeing 747, 707, 737, and luxury jets like the Bombardier Global Express.
John Travolta receives surprise Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival
Meanwhile, at the Cannes Film Festival, John Travolta turned emotional after he received a surprise honor ahead of the global premiere of Propeller One-Way Night Coach.
The prestigious festival surprised the Grease star with the honorary Palme d’Or, which is the Cannes equivalent of a lifetime achievement prize. In his acceptance speech, he fought back tears and said:
“This is beyond the Oscar. Surprise complétement! I can’t believe this. This is the last thing I expected.”
John Travolta continued, expressing his gratitude to Cannes director Thierry Fremaux.
“This is a humbling moment, so thank you, Thierry, from the bottom of my heart. When I met with you in November, I had no expectation that my film would be accepted. And when Thierry said it was not only accepted, but it was making history because it would be the first film ever accepted that early, I cried like a baby because I just couldn’t believe it. Because in my opinion, you are the most discerning person in the movie industry. I was just happy to be here! I never expected this. Thank you so much.”
Propeller One-Way Night Coach is a family adventure film written, directed, and narrated by John Travolta. It’s based on the 1997 children’s book and fictionalized memoir about an 8-year-old boy, Jeff, a young aviation enthusiast, and his transformative 1962 flight to Hollywood with his mother.
The 61-minute movie premieres on Apple TV+ on May 29.
Edited by Gladys Altamarino