JetBlue refines services and plans
JetBlue has announced a reshuffle of services, expanding services at airports including Montana’s Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and Nashville International Airport while reducing flights on others, including ending service at Oakland International Airport.
Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning, JetBlue commented: “With new destinations on tap for 2020, more flights in our best performing markets and tactical adjustments to maximize the success of our fleet and network, we enter a new decade from a strong position that sets us up for success in the years ahead.
“We continue to identify opportunities to strengthen our focus cities and allocate flying so we can offer better schedules and high-demand destinations for our customers.”
The airline is expanding service at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport with flights to and from the east coast. New nonstop service from New York-JFK and Boston Logan International Airport will operate on a summer and winter seasonal schedule starting in June. New York flights will operate three times weekly, up to daily at various times throughout the seasons, while Boston flights will operate twice weekly.
“Our relationship with JetBlue started back in 2011 with initial discussions and visits with their team to gauge interest in the BZN market and we’ve kept in contact with them over the years as our market grew,” said Scott Humphrey, deputy airport director, BZN. “JetBlue introduced seasonal service from Bozeman to Long Beach, California in 2018, and the success of that service has given JetBlue the insight and confidence in our market to add these two new East Coast seasonal flights.”
JetBlue is also adding service from a third focus city to Nashville International Airport with new nonstop flights between Music City and New York-JFK with flights operating twice daily starting 28 April 2020. Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp president and CEO Butch Spyridon welcomed the service and said: “New York has become our number three market for visitation, and the direct service gives us an opportunity to grow one of the largest and best markets in the country.”
The airline has also announced flights to the Central American city Guatemala City, marking its 25th country served. Flights to La Aurora International Airport start 1 June 2020 with nonstop flights operating daily from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
In order to enable the route expansions and new destinations, the airline will redeploy aircraft, adding flights to some existing routes and reducing flights on those that it says aren’t meeting expectations.
From 29 April 2020, JetBlue will end service at Oakland International Airport where it currently serves New York-JFK, Boston and Long Beach. The airline is also reducing or eliminating flights on “half a dozen short-haul routes” in Long Beach, while adding flights from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
Meanwhile in Cuba, the airline said “changes to the regulatory landscape have affected travel trends to the island” and to best meet demand, JetBlue will adjust schedules to maintain up to three daily flights to Havana from Fort Lauderdale and revise to once weekly service on Saturdays from New York-JFK.