JetBlue CEO Talks Spirit Merger, Summer Travel and More

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes certainly has a lot on his plate these days. But that’s what you expect from the head of a major airline like JetBlue.

Hayes recently spoke with Bloomberg Television about a variety of topics, including whether the carrier’s Memorial Day Weekend success is sustainable.

“Yes, things are really busy. We had a really great Memorial Day Weekend and bookings for the summer look really, really good,” said Hayes. “It’s early. We’re all sitting here wondering if the other shoe is going to drop at some point. But right now, summer looks good.”

When asked about a potential appeal following a recent court ruling breaking up its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, Hayes said that “It’s something we’re still looking at. We’re going to focus on what’s the right thing for JetBlue, and we’ll have more news on that soon.”

The executive was also asked about a potential connection between the NEA ruling and the carrier’s blocked merger with Spirit Airlines. “No, I don’t. We’ve said throughout that they are both pro-consumer…Spirit is about making JetBlue a more national, low-fare challenger to the big four airlines. The NEA was really about making JetBlue bigger in the northeast and in Boston.”

Hayes doesn’t believe that the days of consolidation are over. “No, not necessarily…at the end of the day, it’s what’s right for the consumer.”