Sun Country Honors Its History with Retro Livery Aircraft
Specially painted Boeing 737 dedicated to the airline's customers and staff visits PIT for the first time
By Evan Dougherty
Published June 22, 2026
Read Time: 2 mins
Days after resuming its seasonal Minneapolis-St. Paul service for the summer, Sun Country Airlines brought the 1990s back to Pittsburgh International Airport with a special Boeing 737 aircraft.
On June 7, Sun Country’s new retro livery made its first appearance at PIT on the carrier’s scheduled nonstop service between Pittsburgh and the Twin Cities.
The Boeing 737-800, registered N826SY, features a red, orange and white livery inspired by Sun Country’s 1994 design. The livery combines the airline’s original slanted billboard titles as a nod to the past with the carrier’s modern compass logo on the tail.
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Sun Country President and CEO Jude Bricker said the livery pays tribute to the company’s Minnesota roots and the generations of customers and employees who helped shape the airline throughout its history.
“Sun Country’s founders were scrappy, and the airline weathered competition, economic downturns, 9/11, wars, multiple owners, bankruptcies, the pandemic, and the surging consumer desire to prioritize travel. Sun Country survived and thrived. That grittiness, pride and entrepreneurial spirit continued for decades because our team members have been passionate about the uniqueness of this airline.”
The aircraft is also dedicated to Sun Country pilot, co-founder and first president Jim Olsen, who died in April 2026. Olsen was a key figure in helping grow the airline through a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude that defined Sun Country during its early days and remains central to the airline’s values today.
According to flight tracking data Flightradar24, the aircraft spent nearly three weeks in Dothan, Ala., where it was repainted into the retro livery. The aircraft re-entered service May 13 and primarily flies out of Sun Country’s base at Minneapolis-St. Paul.
While the livery is dedicated to Sun Country’s storied past, it also serves as a bridge to the future.
In May, Sun Country officially closed its $1.5 billion merger agreement with Allegiant Air following key regulatory and shareholder approvals. Sun Country and Allegiant will continue to operate separately short-term with no impact to each carrier’s respective customers.
The eventual combined carrier is expected to serve more than 22 million customers annually with nearly 200 aircraft across more than 650 domestic and international routes, maintaining a continued focus on underserved markets across the U.S. and expanding opportunities into international locations.
Sun Country becomes the latest U.S. carrier to fly at least one retro livery aircraft in its fleet. American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and others also operate numerous aircraft with retro-inspired designs born out of past mergers and acquisitions or dedicated to customers and employees.
Photos of Sun Country’s retro livery at PIT can be found in the interactive Flickr album below. To track the aircraft, click here.
