American Airlines operates a special collection of “Heritage Jets”, regular aircraft painted in the historic colors of airlines that became part of American through mergers and acquisitions.
The fleet includes liveries representing TWA, US Airways, Piedmont, Allegheny, PSA, AirCal, Reno Air and America West. These aircraft continue flying regular routes alongside American’s modern fleet.
Among them is Airbus A321 N578UW, painted in the former US Airways colors, and Boeing 737 N915NN, which carries a TWA-inspired livery. US Airways ended operations in 2015, while TWA ceased flying in 2001.
Only some of the airlines joined American directly, while others became part of the company through the US Airways merger. The final US Airways-American merger was completed in 2013, bringing the historic brands into American’s legacy.
A heritage repaint can cost up to $500,000, so only a small number of American’s more than 1,000 aircraft feature these special liveries. Several of the heritage designs are now seen on Airbus A321s, preserving the history of airlines that helped shape American’s network.