Southwest Airlines unveils ‘Independence One’ plane in honor of America’s 250th anniversary

<i>Alexandra Skores/CNN via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Southwest Airline's “Independence One” Boeing 737 was introduced on Monday at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.

By CNN Newsource

Published April 27, 2026 4:20 pm

By Alexandra Skores, CNN

Baltimore (CNN) — Sporting red, white, and a deep blue, Southwest Airlines has unveiled a plane with a new paint job in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.

“Independence One” was introduced on Monday at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, displaying a massive “1776” across the front cabin windows and “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” toward the back.

“It’s a symbol of what it means to give America the freedom to fly,” said Bob Jordan, the airline’s CEO, to a crowd of attendees. “As Southwest celebrates our 55th year, and (as) our nation celebrates 250, we wanted to mark this moment in a way that reflects who we are, where we’ve been and where we are headed.”

The Boeing 737 will make it’s first flight since being unveiled on Monday night to Dallas; then it will join Southwest’s fleet crisscrossing the country.

In the crowd for the unveiling were members of state Departments of Transportation, airline officials, and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.

“As we come together for our 250th birthday, we can rally around an idea and a country and a people and a shared history and a shared future together,” Duffy said.

A significant number of law enforcement officers were spread throughout the hanger, in apparent response to Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Duffy was at the gala and was evacuated shortly after shots rang out.

Southwest isn’t the only airline taking part in the celebration of the nation’s birthday. American Airlines, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines will also unveil special paint jobs. Duffy is expected to visit American at its Fort Worth headquarters this week, alongside Chris Rocheleau, deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

In a separate partnership between Boeing and the DOT, the “Freedom Plane,” is currently on tour to bring several of the nation’s founding documents to museums across the country.

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