A Sight No More: A Final Farewell to the Virgin America Colors

Early last year, the Alaska Air Group (AAG) received a single operating certificate for the combined Alaska Airlines and Virgin America from the FAA following the merger. Just a few months later in late-April 2018, the Alaska Air Group officially retired the Virgin America brand when the airlines merged into the same passenger service system with the final revenue flight officially being operated by Virgin America and their original "Redwood" call-sign. This opened the way for the Alaska Air Group to start re-configuring and repainting the former-Virgin America's Airbus fleet, with outstanding aircraft orders to be painted in the latest Alaska Airlines livery, meaning that the days were numbered when it came to spotting the red and white livery.

Today, word has spread that the very last Airbus in the Virgin America livery, an A321neo has been ferried to the Victorville-Southern California Logistics Airport from San Francisco for repainting, signaling the official end to the old Virgin America livery.

In recognition of the final re-branding and end to another airline livery, I present a montage of all the Virgin America Airbus aircraft I've photographed since April of last year; note that these photos were taken after the Alaska Air Group officially retired the Virgin America brand and this montage does not include photos presented in the montage presented last year in recognition of the official merger date.

Airbus A320-214 (N361VA) "Jersey Girl"

Airbus A320-214 (N624VA) "Red, White & Blue"

Airbus A320-214 (N855VA) "Screw it, let's do it"

Airbus A320-214 (N638VA) "San Francisco Pride"

Airbus A320-214 (N840VA) "by the way"

Airbus A320-214 (N284VA) "Rabid Badger"

Airbus A320-214 (N633VA) "The Tim Clark Express"

Airbus A319-112 (N523VA) "contents may be under pressure"

Airbus A319-112 (N527VA) "tubular belle"

Airbus A319-112 (N529VA) "Moonlights, camera, action"

Airbus A319-112 (N530VA) "gogo dancer"

Airbus A319-112 (N522VA) "the 1-year-old virgin." Formerly leased by Virgin America to Skybus Airlines, which painted it into a flying billboard with a Nationwide Insurance special livery.

Airbus A321-253N (N923VA) "3-2-1 liftoff." The very last A321neo and the very last aircraft delivered in the Virgin America livery. Sadly for me, this would be the only A321neo airframe I got to see wearing this livery.

Airbus A320-214 (N639VA) "air drake." The very last airframe sporting the Virgin America livery I ever saw.

And now, a look at all the former Virgin America Airbuses that have been "Alaska-fied" that I've photographed thus far, including a few airframes where I previously saw them dressed in red! Sadly for me, I never got to photograph two A321neos that were sporting special liveries (the "Most West Coast" livery and San Francisco Giants logojet livery) as they have been re-painted to the standard Alaska livery since then...

Airbus A320-214 (N625VA). The very first aircraft delivered to Virgin America, formerly called "Jefferson Airplane" would end up being the very first to be repainted into the Alaska livery.

Airbus A321-253N (N926VA), the second A321neo to sport the "More to Love" livery and the third Airbus to be delivered directly to Alaska Airlines from the factory following the merger.

Airbus A320-214 (N621VA), formerly nicknamed "Air Colbert."

Airbus A320-214 (N854VA), formerly nicknamed "stand up flyer."

Airbus A320-214 (N623VA), formerly nicknamed "three if by air."

Airbus A320-214 (N361VA), former "Jersey Girl."

Airbus A320-214 (N848VA), formerly nicknamed "bellapierre."

Airbus A321-253N (N927VA), the first A321neo to sport the "More to Love" livery and the second Airbus aircraft to be delivered directly to Alaska Airlines from the factory (the first being the SFO Giants logjet that I never got photograph!) following the merger.

Airbus A320-214 (N284VA), former "Rabid Badger."

Airbus A320-214 (N846VA), formerly nicknamed "glitter girl."

Airbus A320-214 (N640VA), formerly nicknamed "Refresh Air."

Airbus A320-214 (N851VA), formerly nicknamed "Friends Of Arjay Miller."

Airbus A319-112 (N521VA), formerly nicknamed "let there be flight." Also once nicknamed as "Spirit of Columbus" when Virgin America leased this airframe to Skybus Airlines.

Airbus A319-112 (N524VA), formerly nicknamed "Dark Horse."

Airbus A320-214 (N283VA), formerly nicknamed "Chace Plane."

Airbus A319-112 (N530VA), former "gogo dancer."

Airbus A320-214 (N365VA), formerly nicknamed "airbnb force one."

Airbus A320-214 (N852VA), formerly nicknamed "safady voyager."

Airbus A319-112 (N528VA), formerly nicknamed "Fog Cutter."

Airbus A320-214 (N842VA), formerly nicknamed "real steel."

Airbus A320-214 (N847VA), formerly nicknamed "Scarlett O'air."

With that, we bid a final farewell to the Virgin America colors, as well as their clever and chic aircraft nicknames. It'll all be missed by many who flew with them, as well as by the many AvGeeks who pursued the fleet!