On Tuesday, JetSMART introduced its first Airbus A321neo, capable of carrying a massive 244 passengers. On its tail, this jetliner has the livery of a humpback whale, promoting an alliance to protect this endangered mammal. Like its American cousin Frontier Airlines, JetSMART uses its tails for unique wildlife liveries.

The new humpback Airbus aircraft

Last week, JetSMART took delivery of its newest aircraft, an Airbus A321neo registered CC-AWT, at Santiago de Chile International Airport (SCL). The airline introduced its new aircraft to the public on Tuesday. It is the first of 60 aircraft of the model the airline expects to receive, including 14 A321XLRs. The aircraft can carry up to 244 passengers and has the densest cabin in a narrowbody jet across the Americas, surpassing Viva Aerobus’ 240-seat A321neo.

This new A321neo has a humpback whale painted on the aircraft's tail. The humpback whale became the latest animal to appear in a JetSMART livery. Other animals to be painted in the fleet of the Chilean airline are the Green Turtle, a cute little duck, the Culpeo Fox, the Jaguar, the Puma, and the Peregrine Falcon, among others. JetSMART is not the only airline to promote wildlife protection on its liveries. Frontier Airlines, in the United States, does the same. Both carriers are owned by the Indigo Group.

The airline’s new A321neo will fly both domestic and international routes. For example, JetSMART is eyeing flights from Santiago to Calama, Iquique, Antofagasta, Arica, Temuco and Puerto Montt. The interregional routes it could be deployed to are Antofagasta-La Serena, Calama-La Serena and Balmaceda-Temuco, and the international routes Santiago-Buenos Aires and Santiago-Lima.

On the plane's capabilities, JetSMART’s CEO, Estuardo Ortiz, said,

“The use of the most advanced aeronautical and propulsion technology in the world allows our A321neo to be the most competitive aircraft in the market, which will undoubtedly allow us to move decisively towards our goal of 100 aircraft and 100 million passengers transported by 2028, and position ourselves as the leading ultra-low-cost carrier in South America.”

Why a humpback whale?

JetSMART recently signed an alliance with the Cetacean Conservation Center. This partnership, the first step in JetSMART's program to protect the natural world, aims to support the organization's scientific, political, and educational work to promote whale and dolphin conservation.

Bárbara Galletti, president of the Chilean non-governmental organization, stated that,

"This alliance is a valuable opportunity, as it will allow both the private sector and civil society to jointly advance towards strengthening scientific research programs and marine wildlife conservation proposals, as well as in the mass dissemination of issues of great importance and contingency such as the role of cetaceans in the mitigation of climate change and the functioning of the marine ecosystem."

More A321neo incoming

JetSMART is looking to drastically increase its fleet in the coming years. In 2022 alone, the Chilean airline expects to add three more A321neos. Last year, during the Dubai Airshow, the company announced the purchase of 23 additional aircraft from Airbus: 21 A321neo and 2 A321XLR; this year, the airline and BOC Aviation agreed to lease six more planes. These deals are bringing the total number of aircraft contracted for growth to 124 by the end of the decade.

JetSMART is looking to become an ultra-low-cost powerhouse in South America, using Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, and Lima as hubs. Earlier this year, JetSMART launched domestic services in Peru.

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