On June 29, 2024, Ibex Airlines put into service its third-genration Musubimaru Jet, an aircraft promoting Miyagi Prefecture in which Sendai, the airline’s base, is located. While earlier this month the airline announced it would be doing so, it did not reveal the new livery until the first flight.
The third-generation Musubimaru Jet livery is worn by the same aircraft, i.e. a Bombardier CRJ-700 registered JA14RJ, that the previous-generation livery was worn by until being replaced. Its first revenue flight was flight FW41 from Sendai to Hiroshima. Going forward, the aircraft will be deployed on flights across the entire Ibex network.
The first-generation Musubimaru Jet wearing a livery featuring Miyagi Prefecture’s mascot Musubimaru was worn by the same airframe and entered into service May 2018. The livery is a result of a partnership signed between Ibex and Miyagi Prefecture in January of the same year. In April 2021, the second generation livery, which was selected through a social media contest, was applied to the aircraft.
Ibex Airlines also operates one more aircraft in a special livery, another CRJ-700 (the sole aircraft type in its fleet) registered JA07RJ, which promotes Sendai’s professional baseball team Rakuten Eagles.