It's black. It's gold. It's a Steelers-themed jet!US Airways, as part of an agreement signed earlier this year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, intends to unveil an Airbus 319 commercial jet in late summer or fall sure to be in demand here on game days. On the tail will be the hypocycloid-studded logo based on the Steelmark logo belonging to the American Iron and Steel Institute and created by U.S. Steel Corp. The iconography is surrounded by layers of black-and-gold paint.

	An artist's rendering of the Steeler's themed jet. Click photo for larger image.

Pittsburgh, after losing almost 400 daily flights and 10,000 airline jobs since 9/11, is no longer a hub for US Airways, but the Tempe, Ariz.-based carrier is doing what it can to retain employee and passenger loyalty in a market where it remains the largest airline, with 47 percent of the traffic, and employer of 2,000. In a similar move last year, it unveiled an aircraft outfitted with the old Allegheny Airlines tail logo. The planes are part of the regular fleet, so they can be seen anywhere the airline flies.

The Steelers jet will be the third National Football League-themed plane for US Airways, following designs for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals -- representing two large US Airways hubs of Philadelphia and Phoenix. A Carolina Panthers plane -- paying homage to US Airways' Charlotte, N.C., hub -- also is planned for fall. Along with the Steelers plane, expect to see US Airways signs at Heinz Field this fall and US Airways-sponsored tailgate parties.

-- Dan Fitzpatrick