Livery of the Week: JetBlue’s Stand Out Retro Jet

Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is excited to launch our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.

JetBlue has a wide array of retro liveries across its fleet of 285 aircraft. From sports teams to art pieces, the New York-based airline has no shortage of eye-catching paint jobs. However, one in particular does stand out: an A320 named ‘What’s Old Is Blue Again.’

Having been founded in 1998, JetBlue is not exactly an airline with a long history, especially when compared to American, United, or Delta which have been around for almost a century. In fact, the carrier just recently rolled out a new standard livery that deviates from its early-2000s roots.

Nevertheless, the airline went ahead and embraced a 1960s-era design with its retro special livery on N763JB. The livery was unveiled in 2016 alongside the carrier’s inaugural seasonal service to Palm Springs, Calif.

“The 1960s were rich with sleek but bold graphics and style – characteristics of today’s JetBlue brand,” said Jamie Perry, vice president of marketing at JetBlue said in a press release during the unveiling.

“With that in mind our team broke from our tradition of timeless designs and instead imagined a look to celebrate this iconic era of aviation and what JetBlue may have looked when it would have been introducing humanity to air travel,” Perry added.

JetBlue’s retro-themed special livery. (Photo: JetBlue Airways)

Embracing 1960s Flair

Even though the airline had not even been thought of in the 1960s, JetBlue did not hold back on embracing design elements.

The livery features bold orange and blue “speed stripes” down the aircraft’s fuselage, which was a notable element among liveries of the era. The airline’s name is also printed in a retro-themed font.

In addition to the fuselage, the A320’s tail is well-decorated too. According to the airline, N763JB’s tail features three colors and 1960s-era font that ‘would have stood out among other airlines of the time.’

JetBlue describes this retro livery as ‘a jet age take on JetBlue’s hallmark tails of today.’

Retro Liveries

Several airlines pay homage to their roots with retro liveries, including both American and United in the U.S. Even though the aircraft may be newer, these livery designs are a throwback to the so-called ‘golden years’ of commercial aviation.

Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries. 

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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