JetBlue Ushers in the Future of its Fleet as Airline Inaugurates First Airbus A321neo Aircraft and Honors Founder David Neeleman

JetBlue announced its newest aircraft, the Airbus A321neo, officially entered scheduled service marking the start of a new and exciting future for the customer-favorite airline’s modern fleet.

The new aircraft officially entered scheduled service as flight #1 from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), which commemorated JetBlue’s first revenue route nearly 20 years ago when the airline first took to the skies.

At a very special gate-side event at JFK’s Terminal five, JetBlue’s current CEO Robin Hayes and president and chief operating officer Joanna Geraghty were joined by JetBlue founder David Neeleman. When Neeleman and Dave Barger brought together a group of aviation veterans more than 20 years ago to create JetBlue, Neeleman’s vision of creating a low-cost airline that would bring humanity back to air travel was an instant sensation that shook up the industry. In the years since, JetBlue has grown into one of the most recognized and awarded airline brands in the world. As the airline approaches 20 years of service in 2020, JetBlue invited Neeleman to collaborate with the airline’s design team for the new aircraft’s eye-catching and vibrant tail pattern, dubbed “balloons,” which includes five different colored balloons, representing the five values (Safety, Caring, Integrity, Passion and Fun) which were selected by Neeleman and JetBlue’s founders long before JetBlue even had a name. To celebrate Neeleman’s legacy, JetBlue’s first A321neo – tail number N2002JB – is named in his honor.

“David Neeleman’s vision is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago, and today we honor his contributions to JetBlue. He set us on a course to lead the industry in customer comfort and amenities, and today we’re proud to continue in that tradition by introducing this new aircraft that’s both fuel efficient and features our most advanced cabin design,” said Hayes. “JetBlue’s new A321neo boasts features such as the widest and most comfortable seats available for this aircraft type, and a host of thoughtful design elements that are meant to enhance customer comfort and help our crew members deliver award-winning service.”