JetBlue Airways is calling on the United States government to make changes to airport access rules and regulations in order to gain access to coveted airport slots and better compete with the country’s largest airlines. During a recent aerospace summit in Washington, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty stated that in order to increase competition, policies must be put in place to allow new airlines the same opportunities as larger, established carriers. She is hopeful that under President Donald Trump’s administration, these changes can be made, including holding foreign governments accountable to the terms of existing Open Skies agreements. In fact, JetBlue is currently considering taking legal action against Portugal for denying them authorizations to operate in Lisbon.
Despite facing challenges in their recovery this year, JetBlue remains in a better position than low-cost competitors when it comes to attracting premium travelers. They are also focusing on expanding their transatlantic network, with President of JetBlue, Marty St. George, stating that they are “very, very bullish” about the success of their Atlantic routes. They are looking to obtain more Atlantic connectivity as soon as possible, as these routes have proven to be profitable for the airline.
In order to expand their presence in key markets, JetBlue is launching nine new nonstop routes from Fort Lauderdale International Airport in November. These routes will connect the airport with destinations such as Cali, Aruba, Cartagena, Grand Cayman Island, and more. This expansion puts them in direct competition with Spirit Airlines, who is currently under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In response, United Airlines has also announced plans to add flights to 15 cities in case of a possible Spirit collapse.
According to ch-aviation data, JetBlue’s fleet consists of 52 A220-300s, 130 A320-200s, 63 A321-200s, 28 A321-200NXs, and 11 A321-200NX(LR)s. The airline continues to seek opportunities for growth and expansion, particularly in the transatlantic market. They are confident in their business model and are prepared to compete with larger airlines for a share of the market.