What color are Southwest planes?

Southwest Airlines is known for its blue, red and yellow planes flying across the country, but some aircraft sport paint jobs that are unique.



Southwest Airlines is famous for its bold and non-traditional aircraft colors. As of 2026, the primary look is the "Heart" livery, introduced in 2014. These planes are painted in a deep, vibrant shade called Bold Blue across the majority of the fuselage. The tail features a "candy-cane" striped design using Sunrise Yellow, Warm Red, and a thin stripe of Summit Silver. The word "Southwest" is written in white along the side of the fuselage. Occasionally, you may still see the older "Canyon Blue" livery, which features a lighter blue body with a red and orange tail, or the rare retro "Desert Gold" planes that are ochre-gold with red and orange stripes. Southwest also operates several "special liveries" dedicated to various U.S. states (like Arizona One or Florida One) which feature full-body murals of state flags.

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Southwest introduced the Canyon Blue livery on January 16, 2001, the first primary livery change in Southwest's then-30-year history. Spirit One was the first aircraft painted in the Canyon Blue fleet color scheme.

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Since its inception, Southwest Airlines has almost exclusively operated Boeing 737 aircraft (except for a brief period when it operated a handful of leased Boeing 727-200 aircraft). Southwest is the world's largest operator of the Boeing 737, and was the launch customer of the 737-300, 737-500, and 737-700.

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Southwest Is A Safe Airline
They are a favorite among travelers looking for cheap flights without having to compromise on comfort or security. According to the most recent list of the world's safest airlines, Southwest was ranked in the top 15 airlines in the world in 2021, even beating out Delta, American, and United.

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Southwest flies only Boeing instead of Airbus because when it was founded, to keep costs down, they decided to have not only one brand, but one model of airplane — the 737.

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Planes are almost always painted white. Like anything in aeronautical engineering, this does not happen by accident. Quite why has long been a topic of speculation. Reasons for giving planes a lighter shade of paint range from weight to visibility.

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Our commitment to our Customers is seen throughout the Southwest travel experience, from our “no change fees1”, “bags fly free2”, and “flight credits don't expire3” policies to the range of benefits available through our Rapid Rewards® program.

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The biggest reason for flying at higher altitudes lies in fuel efficiency. The thin air creates less drag on the aircraft, which means the plane can use less fuel in order to maintain speed.

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Southwest Airlines is known for its blue, red and yellow planes flying across the country, but some aircraft sport paint jobs that are unique.

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Spirit Airlines is one of the key players when it comes to ultra-low-cost air travel in the US. Headquartered in Florida, Spirit has operating bases throughout the country, and its bright yellow aircraft are hard to miss.

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