In an effort to restore profitability, JetBlue has announced that it will be exiting four cities and cutting flights from Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. The cities that JetBlue will be halting service to include Bogotá, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; Lima, Peru; and Kansas City, Mo. These exits are set to take place on June 13.
JetBlue will also be cutting 16 year-round and seasonal routes, including six from Los Angeles and five from Fort Lauderdale. This move comes as the airline refocuses its network and looks to increase frequencies on well-performing routes from JetBlue’s focus cities. By redeploying its fleet, JetBlue aims to reduce the chance of delays for customers.
JetBlue has also revealed that it will not be resuming service at New York Stewart Airport, where it last operated in April 2019. The airline had flown from Stewart to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. This decision comes as JetBlue aims to navigate a challenging year in which aircraft availability will be impacted by groundings of Airbus planes for inspections of Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.
The network refocusing and route cuts are consistent with the plans that new CEO Joanna Geraghty laid out in January to bring JetBlue back to profitability. Should the merger plan with Spirit fall through, JetBlue aims to reverse its losses by reining in costs, refocusing on core markets from New York and Boston, and developing new revenue initiatives. JetBlue reported a net loss of $310 million for 2023, with a pre-tax operating loss of 3.5%.
Overall, JetBlue’s restructuring efforts are aimed at improving its financial performance and ensuring long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive airline industry. By refocusing its network and making strategic route cuts, JetBlue is positioning itself for future success despite the challenges posed by the current operating environment.