US Airways livery
Encyclopedia
US Airways' aircraft livery
has varied both under the US Airways
and USAir name. In general the Express and Shuttle divisions have had liveries that closely parallel the company-wide livery at the time.
livery/logo. Variations of this livery existed, and included the basic livery on a white fuselage.
In the late 1980s the company changed its colors to red, white, and blue. The livery adopted under this scheme continued to utilize a primarily unpainted plane, instead with a red running strip, topped by a blue running strip. US Air was converted to a more standard logo, written in a serif font. The tail of the livery was painted blue with red stripes.
Upon the company's re-branding as US Airways a new livery was introduced, the upper portion of the plane was painted in very dark blue, the lower portion of the plane in light grey, separated by a white and red running strip. The US Airways title was painted in a white serif font, accompanied by a stylized flag logo. The tail of the airplane was also painted in very dark blue to match the upper fuselage, with the stylized flag painted on the tail in grey. In addition the company's MetroJet
division had a livery derived from this livery, instead with a bright red in place of the blue, and the title MetroJet, in place of US Airways. The tail and underbelly of the livery remained the same as the US Airways mainline livery. Additionally, during this period several planes were painted with the Star Alliance livery, which featured the Star Alliance logo on the tail of the airplane, and the title Star Alliance painted prominently on the airplane. Other members of the Star Alliance
also have similarly painted logo planes.
, a primarily white livery was chosen to better meet operational needs due to the summer heat at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
and Las Vegas
McCarran International Airport
hubs inherited from America West. As of March 2007, 155 planes have been painted in the new US Airways livery, which can be considered a variant of the "eurowhite" paint scheme.
The new livery incorporates colors from the four airlines that became US Airways:
The logos of these four airlines are painted in miniature near the main cabin door.
Various aircraft also appear in the Star Alliance color scheme, which US Airways joined prior to the merger with America West.
The Piedmont heritage plane was repainted in a more accurate blue, the airplane type was painted on the tail to match the Piedmont standard, and the US Airways title was changed to red, to better reflect the Piedmont livery.
The Allegheny heritage plane was repainted with a more accurate grey underbelly, a more appropriately sized running strip, and the registration was moved above the window, to more accurately reflect the Allegheny livery.
The PSA heritage plane was repainted with a larger more accurate smile.
The America West mid-1990s livery heritage plane however has not had any similar repainting. Additionally, there is a 1980s livery heritage plane reflecting America West's original livery.
Aircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
has varied both under the US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
and USAir name. In general the Express and Shuttle divisions have had liveries that closely parallel the company-wide livery at the time.
History
In 1979 US Air introduced its new livery, a primarily unpainted plane, with an orange, red, and brown running strip, and a stylized US Air title, with the "A" written as a triangle. The "A" was very similar to the "A" which had been used in the final Allegheny AirlinesAllegheny Airlines
Allegheny Airlines was an airline operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia....
livery/logo. Variations of this livery existed, and included the basic livery on a white fuselage.
In the late 1980s the company changed its colors to red, white, and blue. The livery adopted under this scheme continued to utilize a primarily unpainted plane, instead with a red running strip, topped by a blue running strip. US Air was converted to a more standard logo, written in a serif font. The tail of the livery was painted blue with red stripes.
Upon the company's re-branding as US Airways a new livery was introduced, the upper portion of the plane was painted in very dark blue, the lower portion of the plane in light grey, separated by a white and red running strip. The US Airways title was painted in a white serif font, accompanied by a stylized flag logo. The tail of the airplane was also painted in very dark blue to match the upper fuselage, with the stylized flag painted on the tail in grey. In addition the company's MetroJet
MetroJet
MetroJet was a no-frills "airline within an airline" brand operated as a division of US Airways from 1998 to 2001.-History:After the conclusion of painstaking labor negotiations in 1997, US Airways sought to head off burgeoning competition from low-cost carriers in its strongest region, the U.S....
division had a livery derived from this livery, instead with a bright red in place of the blue, and the title MetroJet, in place of US Airways. The tail and underbelly of the livery remained the same as the US Airways mainline livery. Additionally, during this period several planes were painted with the Star Alliance livery, which featured the Star Alliance logo on the tail of the airplane, and the title Star Alliance painted prominently on the airplane. Other members of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
also have similarly painted logo planes.
Current Livery
After the 2005 merger of US Airways and America West AirlinesAmerica West Airlines
America West Airlines corporate offices were in Tempe, Arizona and the main hub was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The airline became part of the US Airways Group after a merger in 2005....
, a primarily white livery was chosen to better meet operational needs due to the summer heat at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
hubs inherited from America West. As of March 2007, 155 planes have been painted in the new US Airways livery, which can be considered a variant of the "eurowhite" paint scheme.
The new livery incorporates colors from the four airlines that became US Airways:
- Allegheny (red and blue)
- America West (white, orange, turquoise, and waving gray lines)
- Pacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
(red and orange with a black smile) - Piedmont AirlinesPiedmont Airlines (1948-1989)Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University.As of April 1989,...
(also red and blue)
The logos of these four airlines are painted in miniature near the main cabin door.
Logo planes
The post merger US Airways has continued the America West tradition of logo jets and currently only uses Airbus A319 aircraft for these special liveries. US Airways has established marketing agreements with four NFL franchises, all located in the airline's hubs or focus cities:- Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
: An Airbus A319 operated by US Airways, introduced in October 2006 - Arizona CardinalsArizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
: An Airbus A319 operated by America West Airlines, introduced in December 2006 - Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
: An Airbus A319 operated by US Airways, introduced in September 2007 - Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
: An Airbus A319 operated by US Airways, introduced in August 2007 - NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
: An Airbus A319 operated by America West Airlines, introduced in May 2007. - ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
: An Airbus A319 operated by America West Airlines, introduced in May 2007
Various aircraft also appear in the Star Alliance color scheme, which US Airways joined prior to the merger with America West.
Former logo planes
- Teamwork Coast to Coast: A Boeing 757-200 operated by America West Airlines which symbolizes America West flying coast to coast.
- ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
: A Boeing 757-200 operated by America West Airlines with full aircraft paint - Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
: A Boeing 757-200 operated by America West Airlines previously in the Diamondbacks former team colors. Repainted into regular U.S. Airways livery over the winter of 2006. - NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
: A Boeing 757-200 operated by America West Airlines painted with full aircraft paint - OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
: A Boeing 757-200 operated by America West Airlines - Dot-Com Scheme: Several Boeing 737-300s operated by US Airways were striped of their paint and marked the return of a bare-metal scheme at the airline. Up to 10 planes exhibited the "USAirways.Com" livery so the fuselage could be easily examined, due to crack issues around various joints of the fuselage.
- Unauthorized PSA Smilies: Since the merger with Pacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
various aircraft have been painted with officially unauthorized black smiles on the underside of the nose of the aircraft.
Heritage liveries
In addition several airplanes have been painted with heritage liveries, incorporating the look of the previous airlines, but including the US Airways titles. US Airways has displayed considerable historical care in the design of the heritage liveries, repainting the same airplane to achieve a more historically accurate livery.The Piedmont heritage plane was repainted in a more accurate blue, the airplane type was painted on the tail to match the Piedmont standard, and the US Airways title was changed to red, to better reflect the Piedmont livery.
The Allegheny heritage plane was repainted with a more accurate grey underbelly, a more appropriately sized running strip, and the registration was moved above the window, to more accurately reflect the Allegheny livery.
The PSA heritage plane was repainted with a larger more accurate smile.
The America West mid-1990s livery heritage plane however has not had any similar repainting. Additionally, there is a 1980s livery heritage plane reflecting America West's original livery.