JetBlue Shifting West Coast Focus to LAX

JetBlue is targeting the busiest origin and destination market in the world to expand its West Coast operations.

The airline has announced that it will move service currently operated at Long Beach Airport to Los Angeles International Airport beginning in October in a decision that will double its number of destinations offered from the City of Angels.

JetBlue is eyeing more than 30 daily flights between LAX and over a dozen destinations this fall before expanding to as many as 70 daily flights by the year 2025. The carrier’s expansion in Los Angeles will include multiple new domestic and international markets, some of which have never had nonstop service to and from LAX.

Starting October 7, JetBlue will operate nonstop service between LAX and seven new markets, including Austin; Bozeman, Montana; Las Vegas; Reno-Tahoe; Salt Lake City; San Francisco and Seattle. The new LAX markets went on sale Friday and complement existing nonstop service between LAX and Boston, Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale, New York, Newark and Orlando.

JetBlue’s service between Long Beach and Portland will not transition to LAX, but the carrier will continue to serve Portland from New York, Boston and, beginning in October, Fort Lauderdale.

“LAX is one of JetBlue’s most successful markets and offers the valuable opportunity to grow significantly both domestically and internationally while introducing our low fares on more routes,” said Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning, JetBlue, in a statement. “The transition to LAX, serving as the anchor of our focus city strategy on the West Coast, sets JetBlue up for success in Southern California. We continue to seize on opportunities to emerge from this pandemic a stronger competitive force in the industry.”

Last month, Jetblue announced plans to add 30 new routes across the U.S. beginning this summer as more destinations reopen and air travel demand picks up. The first of the new flights will commence service on July 23.