JetBlue Airways CEO, Joanna Geraghty, believes that the government should create equal opportunities for smaller airlines to compete with the four major U. S. carriers who dominate 80% of the market. However, with the Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) forcing JetBlue to end their Northeast Alliance partnership with American Airlines and blocking their proposed merger with Spirit Airlines, the New York-based carrier has been struggling to reach the scale needed to compete. As a result, the company has faced six years of financial losses.

Geraghty stated that JetBlue is currently the sixth biggest carrier in the U. S. , with only 5% of the market share, while the top four carriers, which include American, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, control the majority of the industry. She believes that this gap has made it difficult for JetBlue to expand their brand and gain a larger market share.

In an effort to gain support from government officials, Geraghty has been lobbying for policies that would give smaller U. S. carriers a competitive advantage. She argues that these carriers, like JetBlue, bring positive changes and competition to the markets they serve. However, they have been facing challenges such as limited access to gates and rising industry costs, which have a greater impact on smaller airlines.

Geraghty also mentioned the Transportation Department’s approval of JetBlue’s “Blue Skies” agreement with United Airlines earlier this year, which will allow the two carriers to sell tickets on each other’s websites and offer loyalty program reciprocity. However, she clarified that this partnership is not as extensive as the one they had with American Airlines, which was deemed illegal by the DOJ. Despite this setback, Geraghty believes that the United partnership will address some of JetBlue’s scale issues by providing more travel options for their customers.

United, who currently does not operate at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), will have the opportunity to operate up to seven daily roundtrip flights out of JFK beginning in 2027. In return, JetBlue will have access to more flight timings at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), where United has a hub.

Looking towards the future, Geraghty is confident that JetBlue will break even in 2026, which will be the first time since 2019. In order to strengthen their network, the company has focused on areas of strength, such as Florida, where they will be launching 17 new routes and adding frequencies on 12 existing routes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Additionally, JetBlue has expanded their presence in the Caribbean and increased their transatlantic flights during the summer season.

Geraghty stressed the importance of a level playing field for airlines to thrive and asked the government to support them in achieving this.