March 8, 2007: The Starliner 75 is what it is called. Alaska Airlines’ new 737-800 featuring a 1940s paint scheme has arrived to celebrate the airline's 75th anniversary.

According to a report, Alaska Airlines launched the aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport before making its inaugural flight to Anchorage in Alaska. This year Alaska Airlines celebrates its 75th anniversary, marking the airline's growth from a single-aircraft operation in 1932 to one of the largest US carriers.

The Starliner 75 comes with a polished aluminum exterior and features a blue star on the nose, which in fact is the original Alaska Airlines logo, and a 75th-anniversary logo on the tail. According to the airline, the Starliner 75 aircraft is a testament to its employees, whose endeavours have allowed the airline to reach its 75th year in a challenging industry.

Meanwhile, Boeing has congratulated Alaska Airlines on its 75th year in business. The plane maker said that it is proud to be Alaska's hometown partner. According to a report, Boeing's Paint Hangar Four Team in Seattle painted Starliner 75 in four days using 110 gallons of paint. Alaska Airlines employees selected the design from four historic liveries that also included the airline's 1950s "Blue Thunderbird," early-1960s "Red Thunderbird" and late-1960s "Golden Nugget" designs, the report added.

Starliner 75 is the 18th 737-800 to join Alaska Airlines' fleet. A report said that by the end of 2008, the airline will complete its transition to an all-Boeing 737 fleet by retiring its remaining MD-80s and speeding the acquisition of next-generation, fuel-efficient 737-800s. Once completed, the transition is expected to save more than $115 million annually in operating expenses, primarily by lowering costs for fuel, maintenance, training and crew scheduling.