‍SAN JUAN — New York-based JetBlue (B6) has unveiled a brand new special livery celebrating the American island territory of Puerto Rico. The color scheme was designed by Juan Gutiérrez Rovira, a Puerto Rican artist and creative director of Stencil Network, and painted onto a 2007-built Airbus A320-232, N657JB.

The paint job features a Jíbaro, a traditional and iconic Puerto Rican farmer known for their self-subsistence practices, front and centre on the tail of the aircraft. He is shown with his harvest, “portraying the nobility and resilience of Puerto Rico’s rural heritage.”

Moving up the fuselage, various fruits and other flora are depicted in vibrant colors over the deep blue backdrop of B6’s brand, “capturing the island’s spirit, warmth, and rich biodiversity. These colourful elements add movement and life, reflecting the rhythm and joy embedded in everyday Puerto Rican culture.”

On the underbelly of the forward fuselage, the phrase “Somos Boricua”, Spanish for “We are Puerto Rico”, is placed to view from below with the star and stripes of the island’s flag. The aircraft is named “Isla del Bluencanto”, following the naming convention of JetBlue aircraft with puns of the word “Blue” or “Mint”, a play on the island’s nickname “Isla del Encanto” or “Island of Enchantment.”

Comments from Artist, JetBlue President

“Designing Isla del Bluencanto has been an honor and an unforgettable experience,” said Juan Gutiérrez Rovira. “Creating this design inspired by Puerto Rico is my way of paying tribute to the island where I was born and raised. I chose the jíbaro, fruits, and flowers to reflect the richness of our culture and the pride of our people. On the belly of the plane, I added the words ‘SOMOS BORICUA’ along with our flag so there is no doubt about who we are and where we come from. My wish is for this plane to be a living symbol of Puerto Rico.”

JetBlue’s president, Marty St. George adds "We are honored to dedicate our newest special livery, Isla del Bluencanto, to this vibrant community. Created by a homegrown artist as a tribute to the island, the design reflects Puerto Rico's pride and heritage while reaffirming JetBlue’s deep and lasting commitment. Isla del Bluencanto is a celebration of Puerto Rico’s culture, history, and people, and with this aircraft, we proudly carry a piece of the island wherever it flies, inspiring more travelers to discover this beautiful destination."

The design was selected in March of this year through an online vote among three designs created by Puerto Rican artists. Juan Gutiérrez Rovira’s livery beat out designs from Elizabeth Barreto and Natalia Nicole (2BLEENE).

The carrier with the most considerable presence in Puerto Rico is JetBlue, having served the island since 2002. Its position has grown over 23 years, having expanded service from San Juan (SJU), Puerto Rico’s capital and a focus city for the airline, Aguadilla (BQN), and Ponce (PSE). The carrier now serves 17 destinations from San Juan in the United States, as well as in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Very Blue Skies

JetBlue currently has a total of 18 special liveries across its fleet of 193 Airbus A320s and A321s, featuring everything from major New York and Boston based sports team, New York City first responders, United States military veterans, promotions for JetBlue initiatives like JetBlue For Good and Blue Unity, corporate sponsorships with Dunkin’ and Nintendo, and even a retro livery, despite the company only being around since the late 90s.

The list includes Bluericua, the original livery dedicated to Puerto Rico, unveiled in 2018. It is considerably more basic than the new livery, featuring an all-sky blue fuselage with a dark blue underbelly, the same format as the standard JetBlue livery at the time, with white replacing the sky blue. It is adorned with seven kites on the tail and rear fuselage. 

The kites feature symbols of Puerto Rico, including the star of Puerto Rico’s flag, dominos, the Hibiscus flower, an Iguaca parrot, and more. The border of the dark blue underbelly also reveals parts of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as “El Morro”, a fortress and citadel in historic Old San Juan.