JetBlue Accepts Delivery Of 100th Airbus A320 Aircraft

JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) today accepted delivery of its 100th Airbus A320 aircraft. The low-cost, low-fare, value-oriented airline operates the world’s largest fleet of A320 aircraft. The special aircraft will feature a one-of-a-kind 100-themed blue livery signifying its unique status. New York’s hometown airline celebrated the event at a special ceremony at JetBlue’s home base of operations, John F. Kennedy International Airport.

“The A320 has been the foundation of JetBlue’s operations since we first took to the skies on February 11, 2000,” said JetBlue Founder and CEO David Neeleman. “JetBlue’s A320 offers customers the most comfortable in-flight experience, and helps us keep our costs and fares low. The fleet has proven itself through high reliability and excellent performance. We are grateful to Airbus for their partnership and dedication with this world-class airplane.”

“This 100th delivery is a significant milestone in the relationship between our two companies. Airbus is extremely proud of its business partnership with JetBlue who is our largest airline customer for the A320 worldwide,” said Chris Jones, Vice President-Marketing, Airbus North America. “We salute the achievements of the management and crewmembers of JetBlue and look forward to their continuing success with our market-leading A320 in the years to come.”

JetBlue’s Airbus A320 fleet offers the most comfortable coach-class travel experiences in the skies, with all-leather seats, individual seat-back televisions with 36 channels of free digital DIRECTV(r) programming, more overhead storage space than any other aircraft in its class, and more legroom than any other airline’s coach cabin (a). JetBlue customers enjoy at least 36-inch pitch (the distance from one seat to the same point on the seat behind it) in rows 1-11, and at least 34-inch pitch in rows 12-25. In addition, more than 100 channels of free XM Satellite Radio are currently being installed on all JetBlue A320 aircraft.

In 2005, JetBlue was awarded the prestigious Award for Operational Excellence by Airbus for having attained, over the prior two years, a 99.43 percent technical dispatch reliability of its A320 fleet, the highest percent of all carriers worldwide with a fleet of more than 50 Airbus A320-family aircraft. In 2003, JetBlue received this award as an operator with a fleet size of fewer than 50 aircraft.

In addition to the 100 aircraft now comprising JetBlue’s Airbus A320 fleet, the airline has 78 additional A320 aircraft on firm order with 50 A320 aircraft options through 2013. JetBlue took delivery of its first Airbus A320 in December 1999.

JetBlue aircraft feature one of seven distinctive tailfin designs. To celebrate this milestone in the company’s history, the 100th A320 will feature its own unique tailfin design, created by TJ McCormick, the company’s manager of brand design.

JetBlue’s Airbus A320 aircraft are powered by International Aero Engines’ (IAE) V2500 engines. IAE is a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders comprise Pratt & Whitney (NYSE:UTX), Rolls-Royce (RR.L.), the Japanese Aero Engines Corporation and MTU Aero Engines (DCX).

Complementing JetBlue’s fleet of 100 Airbus A320 aircraft is the airline’s fleet of 25 EMBRAER 190 aircraft. With comfortable 32- and 33-inch pitch -- and no middle seats -- the EMBRAER 190 fleet offers JetBlue customers the same in-flight experience as the airline’s A320 fleet along with more than 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio. JetBlue has 76 additional EMBRAER 190 aircraft on firm order with 100 aircraft options scheduled through 2015.