OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
12:29 PM – Tuesday, June 16, 2026
United Airlines unveiled new “Stars and Stripes” livery for its aircraft to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, as well as a new milestone for its United Military Pilot Program.
A livery is a specialized design, color scheme, or insignia used to identify the ownership or affiliation of something.
In a press release on Monday, the airline unveiled an image of an airplane painted deep blue with four white stripes, five red stripes, and 50 white stars at the tail, representing the nation’s 50 states. According to United, the diagonal “stripes reflect the energy and momentum of a nation always moving forward.”
The bold design will be seen on the U.S.-built Boeing 787-10 and Boeing 737-800.
“Both aircraft will include a commemorative plaque dedicated to United’s active-duty service members and veterans who have selflessly served our country,” United added.
The airline shared a video of an airplane being painted in its new patriotic design on X on Monday.
“As America celebrates 250 years, our newest specialty livery honors the selfless contributions of our nation’s veterans, including the 8,300 military veterans, of which 1,500 are active members of the National Guard and Reserve forces currently at United,” United wrote.
Additionally, its pilot pathway program, an initiative that helps currently serving U.S. military pilots to get jobs as airline pilots, has helped to transition nearly 600 pilots from military service to working for United since 2024, the airline noted.
The program provides active-duty and active reserve military pilots a conditional job offer as a First Officer. United currently employs over 18,000 pilots, more than 4,500 of whom are veterans.
United also supports organizations such as the United Service Organizations (USO), the Greatest Generations Foundation and the Fisher House Foundation, which serve veterans, service members and their families, and provides this demographic with flight support.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy and United CEO Scott Kirby joined United employees to celebrate both the pilot hiring milestone and the country’s 250th birthday.
“America is the greatest country in the world, and we’re proud to play a role in celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary,” said Kirby. “For 100 years of that history, United has been a pioneering U.S. company, investing in people and communities across the country. Today, we proudly employ more than 8,300 military veterans, of which 1,500 are active members of the National Guard and Reserve forces. Our ‘Stars and Stripes’ livery pays tribute to their service to our country that continues to make America strong.”
“It’s great to see United join this administration’s call to celebrate America’s historic birthday,” Duffy stated. “This patriotic design will remind the American people of the many freedoms we enjoy and how lucky we are to be part of the Great American Experiment!”
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