TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2023
United States airline service JetBlue has recently announced their new, all-blue paint scheme for their standard liveries. The new “icon in the sky” will reportedly give JetBlue planes a “standout” visual design as it looks to expand into new markets.
Though the decision is reportedly to help JetBlue expand their business, some reports state that the new colors could cause issues with potential damage from solar radiation and more energy use when cooling down the plane.
About the New Design
According to the release, the first aircraft to receive the new paint is an Airbus A321 with Mint. Named “A Defining MoMint,” the livery reportedly went into service on June 15. JetBlue states that they plan to refresh all their current standard liveries as a part of their normal aircraft painting cycle.
Bluer skies ahead! ?? Our iconic liveries are getting a fresh bold look just like the moves we've been making as a travel company. Get a sneak-peek at our first-ever Mint pattern (coming soon to all Mint planes). Read more here: https://t.co/bXhsEpknDk pic.twitter.com/ZYn85ByRWZ
— JetBlue (@JetBlue) June 14, 2023
The first design reportedly applied JetBlue’s Mint Leaves pattern on the aircraft’s exterior for the first time. The “all-core” aircraft will also reportedly receive new livery designs with refreshed patterns and a broader set of accent colors.
“Liveries have always been a part of our identity. When you spot a JetBlue aircraft—whether on the ground or in the air—we want customers to recognize us as a travel brand that moves them differently than everyone else,” said Jayne O’Brien, head of marketing and loyalty, JetBlue. “The new livery helps us stand out among a sky of legacy carriers, and is a stunning reflection of our role as a disruptor that uniquely combines lower fares and great service.”
According to reports, the new design builds on JetBlue’s heritage with elements made for a new era, including:
As the company’s first brand refresh in a decade, the new colors and designs reportedly reflect a more joyful, contemporary and digital-first appearance. According to reports, the colorful livery design is also echoed by the company’s new visual brand identity that rolled out on digital assets and social platforms earlier in the year.
JetBlue states that from the outside to the inside, each touchpoint in the JetBlue experience has been created to “honor its storied identity while signaling its bold moves to bring disruptive, customer-focused impact to new markets.”
According to reports, customers can look forward to more new livery designs with refreshed tailfin patterns later this year.
Potential Issues
Despite JetBlue’s decision, some say that the new, all-blue design might not be the safest idea during a time of changing climate.
“The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colors is to reflect sunlight and minimize both the heating and any potential damage from the solar radiation," MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics professor R. John Hansman told Business Insider in 2017. “It's basically the same as putting sunblock on."
Most planes are reportedly painted white—known as “Eurowhite”—in the industry, for this reason and more.
According to reports, reflecting the sun can help keep the cabin cool and reduce the amount of energy needed to cool down the plane. Now, not only would the dark paint affect that light reflection, but it would also reportedly lead to higher upkeep costs in general.
“Another thing that tends to happen with the paint is, over time it will oxidize," Hansman said. “So, if you're painting something red, after a while when it's exposed both to the sun and also environmental conditions, it'll tend to kind of whiten up a little bit anyway because of oxidization."
While these issues could potentially cause problems, reports also mention that other airlines have also opted for non-white colors in the past. Smaller airlines like Breeze and Sun Country reportedly have “colorful” airplanes, while Spirit Airlines’ planes are often referred to as a “school bus with wings,” because of their yellow paint.
Despite these potential issues, JetBlue states that they do not foresee any of these problems being an issue for them.
“The refreshed livery design was extensively reviewed and researched across the organization to ensure we will maintain our standard of great service. We currently have several special dark liveries in our fleet that do not operate any differently than our current white-and-blue standard livery," the company told Business Insider in an emailed statement.
Tagged categories: Aerospace; aircraft; Aviation; Coating Application; Coating Materials; Coating Materials; Coating selection; Coatings; Color; Color + Design; Paint; Paint application; Program/Project Management
