With the last of
the big US airline mergers – US Airways and American Airlines – well underway, aircraft
of the former US Airways are shedding the familiar red, white and blue paint of
the last 10 years for the most recent American Airlines paint scheme. American’s new look, introduced in January
2013, was first applied to an ex-US Airways aircraft – an Airbus A319 – in
January 2014.
Former US
Airways aircraft, the vast majority of which are Airbus A319s, A320s and A321s,
are scheduled to be painted in the new scheme by mid-2016. That’s little more than a year from now so
get out and capture some aviation history near you soon.
(above) Some 90
Airbus A321s were operated by US Airways when its fleet was transferred to
American Airlines Group in September 2013. The first example entered service in
January 2001 and, although the two airlines are now one, deliveries against the
most recent order placed by US Airways continue. In this view, crew and passengers aboard a fairly
new N570UW, in service since October 2013, are minutes from arrival at Orlando
International Airport, Florida in August 2014.
(below) Eventually, the ex-US Airways A321s will be
repainted in the new American Airlines scheme displayed here. This aircraft, N126AN seen during an early
morning departure from Orlando in February 2015, is not one of them but is
representative of 65 A321s ordered by American and was handed over to the
airline in October 2014. The large
wingtip winglets make American’s new A321s instantly distinguishable from the
transferred US Airways machines.
No comments:
Post a Comment