It isn’t often that we get to experience a milestone birthday for our great country, so of course, Southwest didn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate BIG. In dual tribute to our own 55th anniversary and partnership with the America250 initiative honoring America’s founding, we proudly unveiled Independence One, a special new livery with a unique Declaration of Independence theme (fitting for the airline known for democratizing the skies).

Southwest Airlines came into being with the odds stacked against it. Always the scrappy fighter, the Company learned early on how to “bob and weave” when facing challenges—and few in our history were more impactful than the operational effect of winter storm Elliott in 2022. That event set in motion unprecedented, radically transformative changes at Southwest over the next few years. It was a humbling time yet also a moment ripe with opportunity.

Southwest is exceedingly proud of our Customer-facing Employees who often get well-deserved attention and accolades, but so many Employees work tirelessly behind the scenes. In response, under the auspices of the Companywide Culture Committee, Colleen Barrett created Heroes of the Heart to celebrate a behind-the-scenes Team or workgroup rather than an individual.