Livery of the Week: The American Eagle Retro Jet

Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is excited to launch our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result. 

Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line. 

In a world dominated by sleek, modern, and sometimes bland designs, Envoy Air, a wholly-owned regional subsidiary of American Airlines, took a charming detour down memory lane with its retro livery.

Unveiled in August 2021, this special paint scheme adorns a single Embraer E170 aircraft (N760MQ), paying homage to the airline’s history under the American Eagle brand.

The retro Envoy Air livery on one of the airline’s newly-acquired E170s (Photo: Envoy Air)

A Blast from the Past

The retro livery resurrects the iconic design used by American Eagle from the 1980s to the early 2010s. It features a bold red, white, and blue color scheme, with the American Eagle logo prominently displayed on the tail. The fuselage boasts a striking red cheat line and stylized lettering.

In 2013, American unveiled a new livery, which also meant a paint refresh for its regional fleet. As part of the merger with US Airways, American Eagle – which flew under the legacy American brand – was rebranded to Envoy Air in 2014, making room for the carrier’s other regional subsidiaries.

Now, all of American’s regional subsidiaries are branded as ‘American Eagle,’ including PSA, Piedmont and Envoy. The original American Eagle livery on N760MQ once adorned historic airliners such as the Convair 580 and Short 360.

An American Eagle Embraer Regional Jet featuring a yellow ribbon (Photo: Ian McMurtry)

The retro-liveried E170 is a rare sight in the skies. Only one aircraft currently sports this nostalgic design out of Envoy’s 137 aircraft, making it a catch for aviation enthusiasts and plane spotters alike. The aircraft operates various routes within the American regional network.

Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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