JetBlue celebrated 25 years in business on Tuesday.
Two and a half decades after its first revenue flight took off on February 11, 2000, the New York-based carrier debuted its BlueUnity livery in tribute and recognition of its over 23,000 employees, according to a release from JetBlue.
An Airbus A321 aircraft – painted bright blue and featuring various team members – operated a celebratory flight on Tuesday as Flight 1 from New York to Fort Lauderdale – emulating the first flight made by the airline in 2000.
The livery design was created by JetBlue crewmember Ray Matthew, who also coined the tagline on its side-body: “Honoring the fly-est crew in the biz.”
“As we celebrate 25 groundbreaking years of JetBlue, I’m filled with gratitude and pride for the remarkable journey we’ve taken together,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s chief executive officer, in the release. “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.”
The release stated that customers, crewmembers and invited guests on board Tuesday’s birthday flight were treated to surprises and giveaways at JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Today, JetBlue serves over 100 destinations across 31 countries on three continents. It also plans to retire its Embraer E190 fleet later this year.
