For more than a decade, travelers at Wellington Airport in New Zealand have been treated to two giant sculptures with the theme of Hovering Eagle, one of which carries the wizard Gandalf.

The two towering figures were suspended by cables in 2013 to promote director Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" and the Hobbit films, which were filmed in New Zealand for 15 years.

Each eagle weighs more than one ton and has a 50-foot wingspan, with a total of 1,000 feathers. The majestic birds were originally rescuers and warriors in fantasy adventure movies, based on JRR Tolkien's novel.

The airport said Monday that the two will say goodbye to tourists on Friday and “fly into the sunset” to provide space for the new display.

Wellington Airport CEO Matt Clarke said the Eagles' departure will be "the end of the times."

"It's not uncommon to see airborne sources depart from Wellington Airport," Clark said in a statement. "But in this case, it will be exciting for us."

He added that while the sculptures were a “great success” for travelers from around the world, it was “the right time to fly over the nest.”

Some travelers say they feel sad about the birds' departure.

“It hurt my heart,” Ville Johnson told the Associated Press on Monday, as she sat under the claws of the hawks she was holding on the food court.

"Please rethink. Please bring them back and let them stay," she said.

Another passenger, Michael Parks, said taking the Eagles away would be "New Zealand-free".

The two giant eagle sculptures will be disassembled overnight on Friday night and placed in storage space. Their long-term plans are still to be decided.

They were produced by Wētāworkshop in Wellington, which created tens of thousands of props for Jackson's films, including armor, prosthetics, microscopes and weapons.

According to the New Zealand Herald, when a magnitude 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck New Zealand's North Island, one of them fell, but no one was injured.

Clark said the airport is working with Wētāworkshop to provide the Eagles with a "unique, local-themed alternative" that will be revealed later this year.

The New Zealand landscape exhibited in the film attracted millions of international visitors, and the airport's eagle sculpture became an iconic feature.

Research shows that the films have brought more than $770 million in international tourism revenue to New Zealand and more than $180 million in welfare benefits to families in the country.

Another sculpture of Smaug - The Great Dragon that tortured Bilbo Baggins and his Travelers - The boarding area installed in 2014 will be retained.