WASHINGTON DULLES — Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary and paying tribute to the nearly 600 military pilots who have transitioned to commercial operations via the United Airlines Military Pilot Program since 2024, company CEO Scott Kirby on 15 June unveiled a spectacular ‘Stars and Stripes’ livery on a SpaceX Starlink-fitted Boeing 737-800 at United’s widebody hangar at Washington Dulles.

Painted in Amarillo, Texas, United’s new red, white and blue custom livery design has also been applied to a Boeing 787-10. Both aircraft (registrations N91007 and N78285) will include a commemorative plaque dedicated to United’s active-duty service members and veterans.

“It is an honor to be standing here today, celebrating this aircraft and what it means for our nation’s 250th birthday,” Kirby said in front of an audience of United employees, local dignitaries, partners, and members of the media, including Runway Girl Network.

“I truly love this country and everything it stands for,” he declared.

Acknowledging that America is not perfect, Kirby lauded the country for its freedoms. “What the founding fathers bequeathed to us 250 years ago,” by establishing a system of representative self-government “is really unique in the annals of history,” he said, noting that America is “the most diverse society on the planet.”

Joining Kirby in delivering a strong, unifying message, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy enthused: “In a time where we can sometimes be a bit divided, our birthday of this great country unites us; it brings us together.”

“And to think that it’s not just Americans that want to celebrate their birthday,” Duffy continued, “but we have so many companies that are leaning in to say ‘we want to participate. We want to take some of our profits and lean into a celebration that really underscores — and Scott mentioned this — this founding idea that man could self-govern, that we could do it ourselves, that we had the power…’

“And to be part of that 250-year history is so cool. And to see companies lean into this celebration as well is just exhilarating.”

Doing exactly that, United unveiled its custom Stars and Stripes livery with great fanfare at Dulles. The weather cooperated, delivering glorious sunshine and perfect temperatures.

Even the biggest cynics will surely have trouble suppressing patriotic feelings when they see this beauty parked at their gate.

Eagled-eyed aviation and inflight connectivity enthusiasts will also recognize the pair of Starlink phased array antennas atop the 737-800’s fuselage.

“We say here at United that we’re about connecting people and uniting the world,” Kirby noted. “We’re the largest airline in the world. We’re by far the biggest global carrier here in the United States, and what that means is every year we’re carrying millions of US citizens around the globe to experience other cultures, other traditions, and other perspectives, and learn from them, and understand them.

“More important than that, we’re bringing millions of foreigners from around the globe to this great country to see in person what it means to be American, to see the opportunity, to see the energy, to see all the great things that happen in this country every single day. I think the most important export that we have in this country is not oil, it’s not corn, it’s not airplanes, it’s culture.”

United’s 120,000 employees, of whom 8,300 are military veterans and 1,500 are active members of the National Guard and Reserve forces, “play a huge part of really spreading that around the globe,” Kirby continued.

Some 200 United employees, primarily pilots, are presently on military leave right now, serving in the Gulf.

On the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that a peace deal has been reached with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz is reopening, Kirby noted: “It’s good to hear that that hopefully is coming to the conclusion, but people that raise their hand and volunteer when the country needs them are there to serve.” Their profound service and indeed talent are among the reasons why United in 2023 launched the United Military Pilot Program.

The program offers active-duty and active reserve military pilots a path to a United flight deck with a conditional job offer as a First Officer. While 600 military pilots have transitioned to United since 2024, a further 500 more are expected to transition via the program by the end of 2027.

And so, in addition to celebrating America’s 250th, the new Stars and Stripes livery is also a tribute to the United Military Pilot Program’s milestones.

United also supports organizations serving veterans, service members and their families. Through its Miles on a Mission program, MileagePlus members can donate unused miles to the USO to support traveling service members and their families, as well as directly to Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program to help bring family members to the bedside of injured service members.

“It’s great to see United join this administration’s call to celebrate America’s historic birthday,” Duffy said. “This patriotic design will remind the American people of the many freedoms we enjoy and how lucky we are to be part of the Great American Experiment!”