JetBlue Airways
became a contender in the transatlantic market only a few years ago when it added the Airbus A321LR to its fleet. While receiving the new long-range aircraft, the airline has also been taking deliveries of new A220-300s
as replacements for its aging Embraer E190s.
The majority of Airbus aircraft are manufactured in Europe, but JetBlue’s A220-300s were built at Airbus’ facilities in Mobile, Alabama
. The planes are certainly not designed to fly across the pond with a full cabin – and do not necessarily have the need to – but one aircraft recently made the journey for a special occasion.
“Only a few days old”
YouTuber and ex-airline worker Kerwin McKenzie posted a video last week featuring the shiny new jet at Farnborough Airfield (FAB). JetBlue flew the aircraft from the US to the UK to be featured at the 
Farnborough International Airshow 2024
over the summer. It is reportedly the carrier’s first A220 to ever perform such a flight.
The video showcases an interior and exterior walk-through of the plane. On the inside, a clean and empty cabin can be seen with “#LOVEA220” posters (a red heart resembles the “O”) in between the seats.
McKenzie commented that the aircraft, which was brand new at the time, was a history-maker.
“A history-making plane, it’s the first and probably the only A220 from JetBlue that have crossed the Atlantic. This airplane is only a few days old, it’s had zero revenue flights.”
The aircraft is registered as N3203J. According to ch-aviation, it is a 0.2-year-old A220-300, delivered to JetBlue on July 18th. Data from FlightAware shows that it was ferried from Mobile International Airport (BFM) as JBU8692 to Montréal–Mirabel International Airport (YMX). It then flew two days later from YMX to JetBlue’s hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
in New York.
Hello, Bluminicano!
On July 21st, N3203J embarked on its historic transatlantic journey. The aircraft departed JFK early in the morning, around 04:45, and landed at FAB around 16:30, resulting in a journey of about six hours and 45 minutes. The aircraft remained on the ground for two days as it was on display during the event, representing Airbus’ A220 family. Attendees were seemingly able to go onboard and tour the aircraft, just as McKenzie did.
Photo: FlightAware
JetBlue names all of its aircraft with quirky designations related to the color blue. The titles can be seen near the nose of each plane. According to travel blogger Navjot Singh, N3203J’s name is “Bluminicano,” but the aircraft is still so new that the airline has yet to update its website with the name.
Returning to the US and beginning service
After the publicity stint, JetBlue ferried the aircraft back to US soil. It departed from FAB on July 24th around 20:15 local time and arrived at JFK at 23:30, resulting in a flight duration of about eight hours and 15 minutes. The airline did not waste any time deploying it into service, as it was scheduled to operate its first revenue flight the following day. The aircraft operated five legs on July 25th, visiting Boston, Bermuda, Atlanta, and New York LaGuardia.
Photo: JetBlue
JetBlue has since taken delivery of three more A220-300s, according to Planespotters.net. The airline has a total of 37 examples of the aircraft in its fleet, with another 63 on order.
The planes accommodate 140 passengers in a single-class layout. Out of 28 rows in a 2-3 configuration, six hours are “Even More Space” rows, with more legroom. Each passenger can enjoy inflight entertainment through a seatback or bulkhead screen, such as free movies or live TV from DIRECTV. Free high-speed WiFi, known as “Fly-Fi,” is also offered.