Panthers Take Flight With a Custom JetBlue Jet

The Florida Panthers now have an airplane with their name on it, and it's already made a trip to Boston. JetBlue and the Panthers unveiled "Go Cats Go" on November 5 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The plane is a specially designed, 162-seat Airbus A320, and after the reveal it was headed north to the city where Florida has knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs.

What's on the fuselage

According to JetBlue's announcement, the livery is built around the Panthers' red. A giant cat runs along the sides, the team shield sits on the tail, and a retro palm-tree-and-hockey-stick logo appears near the front. "FLORIDA" runs underneath in big red letters. That nostalgic logo is the detail longtime fans will notice first. It goes back to the franchise's early identity, and seeing it on a commercial jet is a neat way to dig into that history.

Attendees at the ceremony included general manager Bill Zito, captain Aleksander Barkov and forward Brad Marchand. Marchand's presence gave the event an extra layer. He spent most of his NHL career in Boston's black and gold before landing in Florida, so a Panthers plane pointed at Boston had a little extra bite. According to WFLX, Marchand joked that the destination might have been intentional. Nobody has said so on the record beyond that quip, but it was the kind of line that made the room laugh.

Bear Force One meets Air Cat One

The Boston angle gets better. JetBlue already flies a Bruins-themed aircraft, called "Bear Force One." Now the fleet has a second hockey plane in Florida's "Go Cats Go," also known as "Air Cat One." Two rival-themed jets could end up parked at neighboring gates, and that's a fun image for anyone who remembers the playoff series.

Florida eliminated Boston in consecutive postseasons, in 2023 and 2024. Bruins fans have plenty of memories they'd rather skip, and the Panthers are now turning that rivalry into something you can see from the terminal. Here's the thing, though: rivalries usually live in the standings and the playoff bracket. Putting one on an airliner is a different kind of trash talk.

From empty seats to airport gates

The plane matters beyond the jokes. Not long ago, Florida was an easy target for criticism over attendance, empty seats and whether professional hockey belonged in South Florida at all. The franchise now has back-to-back Stanley Cups, a national fan base and a flying advertisement. That's quite a turnaround for a market that once had to sell itself.

The sponsorship itself goes back much further than the championships. JetBlue became the Panthers' official domestic airline partner 17 years ago, and the relationship has grown steadily since. In June 2026, the Panthers announced a multi-year extension that named JetBlue the presenting partner of the reimagined Champions Club and introduced JetBlue Landing at Amerant Bank Arena. The airplane takes that partnership off the concourse and puts it on the highway in the sky.

Airline sponsorships aren't the kind of hockey news that keeps fans up at night. Still, most people who watched a Panthers game over those years probably never paid attention to the JetBlue deal. They will notice a giant red Panther pulling up to a gate.

Not the team's ride

One detail needs to be clear. Despite the paint job, "Go Cats Go" is not the Panthers' team charter. Florida Hockey Now reported that Barkov, Marchand and their teammates will keep traveling on a Delta charter, while the JetBlue plane carries regular passengers. If you want to fly on it, you don't need to be an NHL player, coach or executive. You just need a seat, which is a lot more accessible than a spot on the bench.

JetBlue representatives told local media that the Panthers-themed design will stay on the aircraft for at least five years. That's a long-term commitment, and it suggests the airline sees the hockey tie-in as more than a one-season stunt.

The plane won't score goals, fix the power play or guarantee another banner. As a marketing move, though, it shows how far the Panthers' brand has traveled. A franchise that once struggled to fill seats now has its identity flying into new markets and reaching fans well beyond South Florida ice. My read is that the next time Florida's power play is struggling, somebody in the Panthers front office will be looking out a window at Air Cat One and feeling pretty good about the trip.