The Story Of JetBlue’s Red A320

New York City-headquartered US hybrid carrier JetBlue’s standard livery is simple but functional. Easily recognizable both in the United States of America and further afield as far as its European destinations, this white and blue paint scheme adorns most of the airline’s jets. However, did you know that JetBlue also has an Airbus A320 painted entirely in red? Let’s take a look at this livery and why it exists.

Paying tribute to firefighters

As seen in the pictures below, JetBlue’s red Airbus A320 is strikingly different in its aesthetic when compared to the rest of the airline’s more uniformly-painted fleet. Therefore, you might ask why JetBlue opted for such an unorthodox livery. As you may be able to tell from the logo on the aircraft’s tail, it actually functions as a show of support for the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY).

New York City is JetBlue’s hometown, and several of its special liveries have connections to local institutions. In the case of this red paint scheme, which is known as ‘Blue Bravest,’ JetBlue’s website notes that the airline is “proud to show our support for the FDNY Foundation with a shiny, red livery adorned with the FDNY shield.” According to USA Today, JetBlue’s then-CEO, Dave Barger, added that:

“We are New York’s Hometown Airline; we not only work here, we live here too. On a daily basis, we see the hard work of firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians who help keep our city safe. We appreciate their dedication, and are excited to support our hometown heroes in a very JetBlue way.”

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The special livery instantly stood out against JetBlue’s standard paint scheme, as well as in the diverse US aviation scene as a whole. As a tribute, it was well received by the FDNY, with Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano stating that “with this incredible aircraft, JetBlue has created an outstanding tribute to the 15,000 members of the FDNY and the life-saving work they perform every single day.”

The aircraft in question

Given the strength of the tribute involved and the striking aesthetic of this unique red livery, this begs the question as to which particular JetBlue aircraft gets to wear this special paint scheme. As it happens, that honor goes to N615JB, an Airbus A320-200 that, according to ch-aviation, has been with JetBlue for its entire career. It joined the airline in June 2005, initially wearing the standard livery, as seen below.

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Interstingly, historical fleet data made available by ATDB.aero shows that it didn’t receive the Blue Bravest paint scheme until October of 2013. This means that, at the time of writing, it has now spent more than half of its service life with this livery. Originally configured with 162 economy seats, Planespotters.net shows that N615JB has also featured 156 and 150-seat layouts, as well as the name I Love Blue.

Since February 2020, the aircraft has once again sported a 162-seat configuration. This features 120 standard economy class seats, as well as 42 ‘Even More Space’ extra legroom seats. It is keeping busy, having accrued 72,489 flight hours over 25,897 cycles as of April 30th, 2024. According to data from Flightradar24, N615JB has primarily been flying out of Fort Lauderdale (FLL) in recent days.

Photo: Catharine Pierce | Shutterstock

Interestingly, these duties have seen it operate both domestic and international flights. In the former of these categories, the last week has seen N615JB fly from Fort Lauderdale to the likes of Westchester County Airport, (HPN), Washington National (DCA), and Buffalo (BUF). Meanwhile, on an international level, it has been spreading its wings to destinations such as Cancun (CUN) and Montego Bay (MBJ).

Other special liveries

As it happens, N615JB is far from the only JetBlue aircraft to wear a one-off commemorative livery. Of course, with a huge fleet of more than 300 aircraft at the time of writing, you don’t have to look far to find other special schemes. The airline has also used liveries to pay tribute to other frontline staff, such as the New York Police. Additionally, JetBlue’s ‘Veterans In Blue’ livery commemorates the military.

JetBlue also shows support for sports teams with special liveries, both within New York and beyond. Teams represented include the Boston Bruins (ice hockey), Boston Celtics (basketball), Brooklyn Nets (basketball), New York Jets (NFL), and the Boston Red Sox (baseball). The latter of these liveries is known as the ‘Blue Monster,’ after the famous ‘Green Monster’ wall at the Red Sox’s Fenway Park stadium.

Among JetBlue’s other special liveries are several that pay tribute to the airline’s own history and the people that make it a special carrier. These include ‘What’s Old Is Blue Again,’ which is a retro livery based on 1960s aesthetics, and ‘Bluemanity,’ which is dedicated to JetBlue’s members of staff.

What do you make of N615JB’s red paint scheme? Have you ever seen, or even flown on, this aircraft yourself? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!