The process began in 2001 with the delivery of two brand new 737-700s in our new Canyon Blue livery to mark our 30th Anniversary. Starting that year, all new deliveries to Southwest arrived wearing the new colors, and we began to repaint the existing fleet in the new colors with the exception of three aircraft we planned to keep in the original livery to commemorate our original three cities. As I mentioned in my January 5 post, those aircraft are:
- N711HK is dedicated to our Founder and Chairman Emeritus Herb Kelleher.
- N714CB is dedicated to the model of SOUTHWEST SPIRIT, our President Emeritus, Colleen Barrett.
- N792SW was the last aircraft delivered new in the original livery.
Until today, there was a fourth aircraft in the original livery, and that was N347SW. Michael Bludworth at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Houston Hobby snapped this spectacular landing shot of N347SW at Hobby the week of January 18. Thanks to Michael for his permission to use it, and if you have a chance, take a visit to their museum located in Hobby’s 1940 Terminal.
(Technically, N347SW is the only aircraft in the original livery; the three classics named above have a new paint that features gold flakes.) My original post was a bit optimistic about when the aircraft would be repainted, but it left Dallas early this morning on its way to Seattle in its last day of revenue service wearing the original Southwest colors. By tomorrow this time, it will be stripped to bare metal, and in about six weeks, it will emerge into the damp air of Puget Sound wearing shiny new Canyon Blue.
While it was too dark this morning to photograph the last departure from Dallas, we have an additional photo taken while N347SW patiently awaited its makeover. This is from Rob Hahn in Customer Relations and Rob captured the aircraft departing Dallas a couple of weeks ago.
My colleague, Brad Hawkins, will be with N347SW as it begins its transition, and we should have some video in the future. Stay tuned.