American Airlines’ AstroJet – a Boeing 737-800 adorned with a unique retro livery – returned to revenue service last week. The aircraft has not flown since mid-December.
According to aviation watchdog JonNYC, the jet was damaged on the ground in Philadelphia. It remained grounded since Dec. 14, per Flightradar24 data.
On July 1, it ferried from Philadelphia to Chicago after Boeing assisted in completing the repairs. The 13-year-old aircraft – which is registered as N905NN – operated its first passenger-carrying flight since December from Chicago to Providence, Rhode Island, on July 2.
Unique Retro Livery
American’s Astrojet livery is a retro-inspired paint scheme that pays tribute to the carrier’s branding during the early jet age. Originally introduced in 1962 with the arrival of the Boeing 707 and 727, the Astrojet design reflected the airline’s modern image at the time, featuring polished bare metal fuselages accented by a bold red-orange cheatline and a stylized eagle logo.
The carrier has applied this classic design to select aircraft as part of its heritage fleet, including N905NN. The retro livery features period-authentic details, such as the original “Astrojet” titling near the forward fuselage and the vintage American eagle logo on the tail.
The livery has been applied to other aircraft in the past, including a 757-200. It was previously added to another 737-800 – registered as N951AA – which now bears American’s standard livery.
American has several different retro liveries, including throwbacks to PSA, Piedmont, Allegheny, and US Airways.
