American Airlines has revealed that it will soon be introducing a special livery aircraft to celebrate its centennial, and my goodness, it sure is a distinctive plane!
In this post:
American’s plans eye-catching 100th anniversary livery
American is celebrating its centennial in 2026, and it’s normal for airlines to introduce a special livery on an aircraft to celebrate the occasion. American has just unveiled that it plans to introduce a special livery on a Boeing 777-300ER, and it should enter service as of November 2025.
The special “Flagship” livery will be on the plane with the registration code N735AT, and it blends one of the company’s original liveries with a modern flair.
At the base of the livery is the airline’s Silver Eagle paint color, which is currently found on more than 1,600 aircraft in American’s mainline and regional fleet. Across both sides of the aircraft, the orange lightning bolt motif makes its reappearance, after first debuting nearly 90 years ago on the Douglas DC-3.
When American took delivery of new DC-3 aircraft, they were named based on cities the airline served at the time. In keeping with tradition, American will name this aircraft “Flagship DFW,” in recognition of the airline’s home and largest hub. Toward the rear of the aircraft, you’ll notice a roundel featuring one of the most recognizable motifs from American’s history, which is the eagle connecting the world.
Here’s how Ron DeFeo, American’s Chief Communications Officer, describes this:
“American has thoughtfully chosen a design that evokes our rich history while looking ahead to our next 100 years. Throughout American’s history, ‘Flagship’ has always been recognized as our premium travel experience. Our renewed focus on the customer experience is making premium travel better than ever across all aspects of our customers’ travel journeys. Painting the original Flagship design on our Flagship aircraft is a powerful way to honor that legacy while embracing the future.”
What a unique special livery for American’s centennial!
American’s special centennial livery will certainly turn some heads at airports, because I’ve never seen a modern commercial aircraft painted quite like that. I’m curious what it actually looks like in person, as it’s hard to know what the finishes will look like based on the renderings.
I find it interesting — and I really like — how the special livery is so historic, and really pays tribute to the company’s origins. It’s quite a contrast to the other special centennial liveries we’ve seen in recent times, which are largely modern, and pay tribute to a company’s history in a more subtle way.
For example, for the recent Delta and Lufthansa special centennial liveries, you wouldn’t know that was the intent of the liveries, if it weren’t for the “100” written on the side of the fuselage.
I commend American for really going back to its roots. Then again, American doing a great job with retro liveries is nothing new. I also love how American has 737s in retro liveries that pay tribute to the carrier’s predecessors (America West, Reno Air, etc.).
Bottom line
In November 2025, American will start flying a Boeing 777-300ER in a special centennial livery, based on the carrier’s Douglas DC-3 back in the day. The renderings of the livery look pretty incredible, if you ask me, and I can’t wait to see this plane actually flying!
What do you make of American’s centennial livery plans?
I wonder if airline livery schema should be (or are) analyzed for visibility - so that pilots can see each other perhaps even 15 seconds earlier. Could be a safety matter.
If so, livery should reflect a minimum standard for safety.
Still, livery is cool, safety is cooler.
“…because I’ve never seen a modern commercial aircraft painted quite like that.”
American did a similar livery on a 757 late 90’s.
Nothing says premium like a late arriving, bad service flight, with a distinctive livery.
The retro liveries are pretty cool. Wonder if AA will do something similar to DL with the different decades of crew uniforms (on their current safety video), or would they be shunned for copying them?
The retro liveries are pretty cool. Wonder if AA will do something similar to DL with the different decades of crew uniforms (on their current safety video), or would they be shunned for copying them?
Maybe so but let's hope it isn't like Delta's different decade commercial where they attempt to whitewash decades of racist and homophobic life in Atlanta and the Deep South. Some of their choices for the various decades were ironic, at best, since Black women weren't even allowed to fly for Delta in some of the times they represented the Delta uniform.
Yikes, Jane. I get what you're saying, but, are we really gonna demand the same of say, Lufthansa (they know what they did...), or Rwandair ("We're sorry, again, for the mass slaughter of the Tutsi people and moderate Hutus by Hutu extremists"), or I donno, pick your favorite historic horror.
I can confirm that Qantas does somewhat of an acknowledgment to the aboriginals ("We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we...
Yikes, Jane. I get what you're saying, but, are we really gonna demand the same of say, Lufthansa (they know what they did...), or Rwandair ("We're sorry, again, for the mass slaughter of the Tutsi people and moderate Hutus by Hutu extremists"), or I donno, pick your favorite historic horror.
I can confirm that Qantas does somewhat of an acknowledgment to the aboriginals ("We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work and fly and pay our respects to Elders past and present.") Like, what do you think is enough, if anything?
So, I suppose American could include a segment on the Trail of Tears, if it would make Native Americans feel 'seen,' but, I wouldn't count on that, and I don't even think they're asking for it. Yet, American Airlines does have its largest commercial aircraft maintenance facility in the world in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so maybe it would be 'the right thing to do,' no?
I’m sure AA in its current state, will botch this and make it look terrible in person. And naming it Flagship DFW is predictably lame for an airline that can’t run any reliable ops mostly due to DFW.
I kinda wish that they didn't go back quite as far and went with their metal/orange/lightning bolt livery from the 1960s. That was so cool on a 707! And it would look better on their 777 than this version does. Which is not to say it isn't great....it is. Just could be a little bit better.
Now, their current livery is dull as ditchwater.
AA should celebrate its centennial by reopening LAX Flagship First Dining.
Seriously. So disappointing. When booking premium transcon, it does affect my choice, (and Tim will be happy to hear this) because I'd rather enjoy DeltaOne at LAX (and at JFK, on arrival), than to dish out extra for Flagship First on the a321T (with its broken seats), but not get to experience First Dining. C'mon!
American should celebrate this by going back to their bare metal livery (and old logo) and never changing them
They can't. Modern planes use composite and you can't leave them bare
James K. gets it.
Great to see the American retrojet tradition continue. It is a shame they aren’t going to go the whole hog and do a polished metal fuselage finish as opposed to gray paint.
V/F
Don't like it. Looks very foreign.
At least it's really American's real Centennial. Unlike Delta that moved their anniversary up off crop dusting to be first (even though in 2004 they claimed their anniversary was 1929).
Little wonder the Delta Centennial livery is lacking when they had to make up a new starting year to be a fake first.
Quite possibly the most Delta thing in 2025 -- fake marketing and a fake centennial to create an image that isn't real -- your own birthday
I want to like it but don’t find it appealing.
Can we roll this out fleetwide?
Neat. Agreed that it's great that there are retro liveries on other American planes. Makes for a great conversation with kids interested in aviation history and is an extension of the learning at museums and even from some toy kits.
Plug for the American Airlines crew store open to the public at DFW. Great nostalgia and reasonable prices.
It was really hard to tell from the press release but it seems like they were hinting on this also being the plane to debut the new interior on the 77W? I don't quite believe they could retrofit the plane (in addition to paint) as the prototype retrofit in less then a month and a half, but I'd love to see this plane debut the new interior which is overdue on these planes.
Wow! This Centennial livery absolutely destroys Delta's! DAL's seems rather bland comparatively!
Agree. The DL livery is just too blue. It's rather meh
However folks, will it not take a lot more than a new livery to improve the AA customer experience?
I am sure that Tim will put us all straight on that score …. :-)
He's already here, Aero. you! As you know. You forget to log back in from Guest
I always love when you forget to put your voice back in ChatGPT for that 1950s style British voice. "Folks"?
It's like you've never even met a Brit, Tim.
Also Aero. Apparently, you're now a Falkland Islands Veteran? Stolen valor much?
Jane: He started claiming that when he read my response to Martin O'Homophobe that stated that I was a Gulf War vet. So the valor he's stealing is actually mine, and I'm rather ticked off about that.
Touché, sir.
(I presume this is the fellow behind @Un, etc., impersonating me, yet again.)
If you wish to co-opt the '1990' brand as your own, just note, the 'O.G.' 1990 is no fan of the current administration or its policies, advocates for air passenger rights legislation (EU261-equivalent in the USA), generally supports worker and consumer protections, and is no fan of the CCP or Putin.
Otherwise, please do treat her well....
Touché, sir.
(I presume this is the fellow behind @Un, etc., impersonating me, yet again.)
If you wish to co-opt the '1990' brand as your own, just note, the 'O.G.' 1990 is no fan of the current administration or its policies, advocates for air passenger rights legislation (EU261-equivalent in the USA), generally supports worker and consumer protections, and is no fan of the CCP or Putin.
Otherwise, please do treat her well.
And, I happen to agree with you on this one. I do like the design, too.