Jetblue has announced plans to consolidate operations at five domestic metro areas until mid-June.
The move is aimed at “reducing excess flying during a time of unprecedented low demand for air travel while maintaining a critical level of service across the airline’s network for those who absolutely must fly”.
From April 15 until June 10 the carrier will consolidate services at Boston, LA, New York, San Francisco and Washington, as follows:
- At Boston Jetblue will suspend flights and from TF Green International, concentrating services at Boston Logan International, and reducing typical daily departures from 180 to 28.
- At Los Angeles flights will be suspended to and from Hollywood Burbank and Ontario International, but will continue at LAX and Long Beach airport. Typical daily departures will fall from 44 to just five.
- At New York flights will operate at JFK and Newark, but will be suspended at La Guardia, Westchester International and Stewart International, reducing typical departures from 215 to 30.
- At San Francisco flights will be suspended at San Jose International, with services being consolidated at San Francisco International, reducing typical departures from 19 to two.
- Finally at Washington flights will be suspended at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, but will continue at Washington National, with a reduction in typical daily departures from 34 to five.
Jetblue also said that it intends to file an exemption request with the US Department of Transportation, to “temporarily suspend flying at other airports where the airline typically operates only a handful of daily flights and where current demand does not support Jetblue service”.
The carrier has reduced capacity by 80 per cent in April, and Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning, said:
“We face new challenges every day and can’t hesitate to take the steps necessary to reduce our costs amidst dramatically falling demand so we can emerge from this unprecedented time as a strong company for our customers and crewmembers.”
