United Airlines on Monday unveiled two aircraft bearing special patriotic liveries to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, becoming the first US carrier to feature such a design on a widebody jet.

The Chicago-based airline revealed the newly painted Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 787-10 at a ceremony inside a hangar at Washington Dulles International Airport, with chief executive Scott Kirby joined by US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, airline employees, and local dignitaries.

Dubbed the "Stars and Stripes" livery, the design covers both aircraft almost entirely in blue, with bold diagonal red and white stripes running across the rear fuselage and 50 white stars representing each US state.

United said the design aims to "reflect the energy and momentum of a nation always moving forward."

The two jets are the latest in a growing number of America250-themed aircraft that have appeared across the United States in recent months as the country prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, now less than three weeks away.

While rival carriers have confined their commemorative paint schemes to narrowbody aircraft, United — the country's largest airline by fleet size and destinations served — is the first to extend the celebration to a widebody plane, positioning the livery for international as well as domestic routes.

Both aircraft were painted at the International Aerospace Coatings facility in Amarillo, Texas.

Source: Simple Flying