Southwest Airlines Partners with America250 and Unveils Bespoke ‘Independence One’ Livery

Southwest Airlines has today announced a new partnership with America250, the national nonpartisan initiative working to engage Americans in celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary.  As part of the partnership, the carrier has also unveiled a unique new livery.

Southwest Celebrates America's 250th Birthday with New 'Independence One' Livery - Courtesy Southwest Airlines

On Monday (April 27, 2026), Southwest Airlines announced that they are celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's founding with the introduction of ‘Independence One,’ a special new livery. Independence One will join two additional Southwest Airlines’ America-themed planes, including Freedom One, which has been in the fleet since 2021, and Liberty One, a second newly-introduced aircraft painted in an American flag theme.  Independence One will officially join Southwest’s fleet on April 29th with its first scheduled flight from the airline’s hometown in Dallas, Texas, to Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

In Monday’s announcement, Southwest Airlines’ President and CEO, Bob Jordan, said,

“With our new Independence One and Liberty One aircraft, we honor this important milestone in our nation's history, and the generations of Customers that Southwest has carried.  They join our Freedom One aircraft in uniting families, bringing service members home, flying entrepreneurs chasing an opportunity, and helping communities stay connected.  Southwest is proud to be a part of the 250th national celebration and to honor the same spirit of innovation, resilience, and optimism that has shaped our country and our Company.”

Also commenting on the new partnership and special livery, America250’s Chair, Rosie Rios, said,

“As America marks its 250th anniversary, Southwest Airlines’ legacy of connecting people and communities reflects the spirit of freedom and opportunity that defines our nation.  Through initiatives like Independence One and America Gives, this partnership will help bring Americans together—across cities, states, and generations—in celebration and service.”

Southwest Airlines Introduces New 'Independence One' Livery to Celebrate America's 250th Birthday - Courtesy Southwest Airlines

Southwest’s new Independence One livery features several design elements that commemorate America’s 250th birthday.  This includes a red, white, and blue paint scheme with 1776 written in giant quill script, along with the key phrase, ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ from the Declaration of Independence and the three inalienable rights endowed to all humans.   The livery also includes thirteen stars on the fuselage denoting the thirteen original colonies, a circle of stars on each engine cowling reflecting the original Betsy Ross flag, a special ‘1776’ tail number, and a special America250 nose and winglet decal.

Time Lapse Video of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Receiving a Bespoke 'Independence One' Livery Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America's Declararation of Independence - Courtesy Southwest Airlines

Additionally, Southwest Airlines has partnered with America250 as the official airline of ‘America Gives,’ joining nationwide efforts to make 2026 the largest year of volunteerism in our country’s history.  To support this initiative, the airline will invest up to $250,000 to further support the nonprofits served by the company’s team members.  The ‘We Serve Together’ grant from Southwest Airlines builds upon the more than 180,000 hours of volunteer service from Southwest Employees in 2025.

Source: Southwest Airlines / PRNewswire