‘Blue Unity’ Airbus A321 flies Jet Blue’s 25th anniversary flight
February 12, 2025
JetBlue celebrated its 25th birthday on Wednesday 11 February, marking a quarter-century since its first customer flight took off from New York’s JFK Airport to Fort Lauderdale on 11 February 2000, though the US low-cost carrier was actually founded in August 1998.
Starting with just ten destinations, JetBlue has grown to become a global airline that now serves more than 100 destinations in 31 countries, spread across three continents. Destinations are concentrated throughout the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada and Europe, but JetBlue is still proud to label itself as New York’s Hometown Airline.
Initially modelled on Southwest Airlines, JetBlue soon added additional amenities and premium ‘touches’ to set itself apart. These ranged from offering the industry’s first all-leather seating to having in-flight entertainment in every seat including the first seatback TVs with live entertainment, the first free unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi on every aircraft, and free name-brand snacks. JetBlue debuted its take on premium with Mint in 2014, but maintained a laser focus on affordable, customer-focused air travel.
JetBlue began operations with the Airbus A320, later adding the Embraer ERJ190 to operate ‘thinner’ routes. Today, the airline has a 290-aircraft fleet, flying more than 1,000 flights per day to 114 destinations from its main hubs at New York-JFK, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and San Juan. That 290-strong fleet now comprises 44 A220-300s (replacing the Embraer ERJ190s, 16 of which remain), 130 A320s, 63 A321-200s, and 37 A321neos.
Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s chief executive officer said: “As we celebrate 25 groundbreaking years of JetBlue, I’m filled with gratitude and pride for the remarkable journey we’ve taken together. Our mission of bringing humanity back to air travel has set us apart, and our amazing crewmembers are redefining what it means to truly care for our customers and each other. Our combination of affordable air fares and award-winning service has given us a unique place in the industry as a bit of a maverick disruptor, and we are still building on that reputation. The industry has changed a lot since 2000 and we’ve changed with it, but we’re continuing to put our customers at the centre of our plan for the next chapter of JetBlue.”
JetBlue has commemorated its milestone anniversary in a number of ways, most notably by applying a new ‘BlueUnity’ aircraft livery dedicated to its 23,000 crewmembers and co-workers, who the airline says have been at the heart of the airline’s success for the past 25 years.
The BlueUnity livery is applied to Airbus A321-231 N970JB (7415), and was created by JetBlue crewmember Ray Mathew. It includes the tagline “Honoring the fly-est crew in the biz.”
CEO Joanna Geraghty noted that: “Building a unique culture focused on caring for the crewmembers was always core to the JetBlue model, and this new livery speaks to exactly that. It’s truly awe-inspiring to think about the countless individuals, many working behind the scenes, who make our airline so special. Painting it on the side of a plane lets everyone in on the secret of JetBlue’s success—our crewmembers.”
Looking ahead, JetBlue plans to strengthen its operational performance, launch new products and build out the best East Coast leisure network under its so-called JetForward strategy. JetBlue will expand its European network with new seasonal routes from Boston to Madrid, and to Edinburgh, starting this May. These will join existing services to London, Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin. JetBlue’s first-ever customer lounges will open in JFK’s Terminal 5 in 2025 and Boston Logan’s Terminal C soon after, and the airline plans to Introduce a domestic first-class option in 2026, combining elevated comfort with JetBlue’s signature low fares.
JetBlue already offers extra legroom seats and this ‘EvenMore’ option will now give customers additional amenities, including free alcoholic beverages, a premium snack, dedicated overhead bin space, early boarding, and priority passage through security.
The final E190 aircraft will retire this year, in favour of the more modern Airbus A220 aircraft, which features added comfort, modern inflight connectivity and entertainment, as well as better fuel efficiency.
