The Most Eye-Catching Special Liveries In Southwest Airlines’ Fleet

For an airline, its livery is a crucial element of its brand identity, providing a visual. Some liveries are instantly recognizable, such as those of American Airlines, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines. Some carriers also adorn their aircraft in one-off liveries to mark special occasions or to honor something of importance – Southwest Airlines is one of these.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Data from ch-aviation shows that Southwest Airlines’ fleet is currently made up of:

• Boeing 737-700 x 382
• Boeing 737-800 x 229
• Boeing 737 MAX 8 x 207

Among these aircraft are more than 20 special liveries, from those honoring states in which the carrier operates to those celebrating individuals who have shaped the airline’s history. Which are the top 5 that stand out for their striking design or the important meaning behind them?

5

Lone Star One

N8660A – Boeing 737-800

This special livery, featuring the flag of the state of Texas, first took to the skies back in 1990 on N352SW, a Boeing 737-300. It was the airline’s first special livery dedicated to a particular state. The state of Texas holds particular significance for Southwest Airlines, as the carrier was founded there back in 1967 and its headquarters are located in Dallas.

Photo: lorenzatx | Shutterstock

The original aircraft was retired in 2016 with the design subsequently painted onto N931WN, a Boeing 737-700, instead, some two months later. Then, in early 2024, as N931WN was repaired in Southwest Airlines’ standard heart livery, and the Lone Star One paint scheme was instead moved to N8660A, a Boeing 737-800.

Today, Southwest Airlines has a major presence in Texas, operating at nine of the state’s airports:

• Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA)
• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
• Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP)
• Dallas Love Field (DAL)
• El Paso International Airport (ELP)
• Valley International Airport (HRL)
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
• Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB)
• Midland International Airport (MAF)
• San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

4

Imua One

N8710M – Boeing 737 MAX 8

This brightly-colored livery is dedicated to Southwest Airlines’ employees and passengers in the state of Hawaii. The aircraft, registered as N8710M, became the first of Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX 8s to feature a state-dedicated livery when it was unveiled in 2023.

Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock

Southwest Airlines began operating in Hawaii in 2019, and has since grown its presence there to around 90 daily departures, two-thirds of which are inter-island services. Today, the carrier serves five airports in Hawaii:

• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
• Kahului Airport (OGG)
• Kona International Airport (KOA)
• Hilo International Airport (ITO)
• Lihue Airport (LIH).

Read more:

Analyzing Southwest Airlines’ Hawaii Operations

The airline offers 90 Hawaii departures a day, two-thirds of which link the Islands to one another.

3

Heroine of the Heart

N872CB – Boeing 737 MAX 8

This livery features special decals dedicated to Colleen Barrett, who became the first female to lead the airline in August 2001. Her leadership throughout the turbulent months and years that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks had a significant impact on the airline’s performance.

In fact, Southwest Airlines was the only major US carrier to make a profit in Q4 2001, and one of the only ones that did not need to lay off staff as a result. The livery was originally painted on N266WN, Boeing 737-300, in 2007 but was later transferred to another aircraft, and now adorns N872CB, a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

2

California One

N8653A – Boeing 737-800

Featuring a single red star and a grizzly bear, aircraft N8653A proudly sports the flag of the state of California. The special livery was first introduced in 1995, and has previously adorned both N609SW (Boeing 737-300) and N943WN (Boeing 737-700).

Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock

Southwest Airlines has a major presence in California, operating at a total of 13 airports throughout the state, including major intercontinental hubs such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), in addition to smaller regional airports, including Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) and John Wayne Airport (SNA).

1

Freedom One

N500WR – Boeing 737-800

Perhaps the most all-encompassing of Southwest Airlines’ special liveries, Freedom One proudly features the US flag. When it was unveiled in 2021, aircraft N500WR became the first of the carrier’s Boeing 737-800s to feature a special livery.

Freedom One’s representation of the US flag is quite fitting, given that in 2023, Southwest Airlines was the third-largest carrier in the country by passengers carried, with a total of 171 million passengers, and the fourth-largest by total fleet size.

A number of other US carriers regularly paint their aircraft in special liveries, including Frontier Airlines, which is famed for its animal tails that promote environmental protection and education. but whatever the purpose of an airline’s special livery, they certainly make the skies more interesting.

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Have you flown on any of Southwest Airlines’ aircraft listed above? Do you know of any other special liveries in the carrier’s fleet? Let us know by commenting below.