United Airlines has unveiled a new special livery called Mountain Ascent on an Embraer E175 registered N645SY, created by its in-house design team for service to ski and mountain destinations in the western United States. The aircraft, operated by SkyWest for United Express, is due to enter revenue service in early 2027 and will fly to destinations including Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte and Sun Valley.
The design was revealed by chief executive Scott Kirby during an appearance at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and has been linked to United’s broader mountain network, which the airline says covers about 60 routes to 15 ski and mountain destinations. The livery uses stylised mountain imagery across the rear fuselage, with the standard United Express titles retained on the forward section.
United has positioned the aircraft for the upcoming ski season, with the E175 selected for high-altitude mountain flying across the western US. The carrier’s mountain destination schedule also reflects its wider regional network strategy, using United Express operations to connect leisure traffic with smaller airports near major resort areas.