I don’t usually cover special liveries on the site but this one was too cool for the kid in me to pass up. JetBlue, in partnership with Nintendo, has just unveiled a new livery that has been applied to one of its Airbus A320 aircraft.
The aircraft, registration N561JB, is nicknamed “Cloudtop Cruiser” and features Mario, Princess Peach, Luigi, Bowser, Donkey Kong and Yoshi on the exterior of the aircraft. The Super Mario theme will also be carried through to the interior of the plane as passengers will be greeted by Mario and friends on the welcome screen of their seatback IFE screens.
According to the airline, “JetBlue has long designed special liveries to honor the people, places, and partnerships that make up its DNA.” The press release isn’t clear on whether this new design is part of a broader partnership between the airline and the Japanese video game company or just a branding opportunity.
JetBlue is well known for its special liveries with aircraft painted to celebrate everything from the Boston Red Sox to the New York City Fire Department. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the airline paint a plane in the colors of a corporate partner, the carrier had an NBC Peacock aircraft for a time a few years ago.
At the time of publication, “Cloudtop Cruiser” has been ferried from the paint shop to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) where it is expected to enter revenue service shortly.
I’m sure aviation spotters will be eager to get photos of this aircraft, though I doubt I’ll see it in Austin anytime soon.
Summary
JetBlue has just unveiled it’s newest special livery, designed in partnership with Nintendo and its Super Mario franchise. In addition to the design on the exterior, the theme will be carried through to the interior of the aircraft via seatback IFE screens. What are your thoughts on the new livery?
(Images courtesy JetBlue)