New York-based carrier JetBlue's standard livery is simple but functional. Easily recognizable both in the US and further afield, 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 above, JetBlue's red-liveried A320 is strikingly different in its aesthetic to the rest of the airline's fleet. So why did JetBlue opt 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:

"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 aircraft's striking red livery is recognizable even from afar. Photo: Getty Images

The aircraft in question

So aircraft gets to wear this special livery? That honor goes to N615JB, an Airbus A320-200 that, according to ch-aviation.com, has been with JetBlue for its entire career. It joined the airline in June 2005, initially wearing the standard livery.

Data from Planespotters.net shows that it didn't receive the Blue Bravest paint scheme until October 2013. This means that, at the time of writing, it has spent around half of its service life with this livery, and half without it. Originally configured with 162 seats, N615JB has also featured 156 and 150-seat layouts.

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 63,854 flight hours over 22,605 cycles as of October 2021. According to data from FlightRadar24.com, N615JB's most recent flight took it from Atlanta to Newark yesterday evening.

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N615JB has now been wearing its red livery for more than eight years. Photo: Tomás Del Coro via Flickr

Other special liveries

As it happens, N615JB is far from the only JetBlue aircraft to wear a one-off commemorative livery. Indeed, the airline has also used unique paint schemes to pay tribute to other frontline staff, such as the New York Police Department. Additionally, JetBlue's 'Veterans In Blue' livery commemorates the military.

The airline also shows support for sports teams with special liveries, both within New York and beyond. Franchises represented include the Boston Bruins (ice hockey), Boston Celtics (basketball), Boston Red Sox (baseball), Brooklyn Nets (basketball), and the New York Jets (American football).

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!