JetBlue leaving 5 cities as it cuts unprofitable routes

Low-cost hose JetBlue is readying to destruct routes to 5 cities and trim its work to Los Angeles arsenic it looks to amended its financial capacity aft a national tribunal blocked its projected merger pinch rival fund bearer Spirit Airlines.

The hose will eliminate routes to Kansas City, Missouri, arsenic good arsenic Bogota, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; and Lima, Peru. JetBlue will besides destruct work to Newburgh, New York, which has been suspended since 2020, and trim nan number of flights successful Los Angeles from astir 34 to 24 regular flights. The changes are expected to return effect successful June.

"These decisions are ne'er easy, however, these markets person precocious fallen short of our expectations," JetBlue told FOX Business successful a statement. "These moves will let america to redeploy our fleet to summation frequencies connected well-performing routes from JetBlue's attraction cities while continuing to summation important crushed clip for our aircraft, reducing nan chance of delays for our customers.

"The changes will besides thief america during a clip erstwhile craft readiness is constricted – peculiarly pinch immoderate of our craft grounded owed to Pratt & Whitney GTF motor inspections."

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JetBlue and Spirit precocious abandoned a projected merger aft a national judge ruled it would undermine title among fund carriers. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The hose is dealing pinch a shortage of craft owed to an rumor pinch nan RTX Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines successful 7 of its Airbus A320neo airliners that are grounded. JetBlue said that number is expected to emergence to arsenic galore arsenic 15 by nan extremity of 2024.

"Most of our customers impacted by these changes will beryllium capable to prime alternate formation options themselves connected JetBlue.com. Where alternate routes are not available, customers will beryllium provided pinch a refund," nan institution said successful its connection to FOX Business.

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JetBlue is refocusing its work offerings connected well-performing routes. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

JetBlue web readying caput Dave Jehn wrote a memo discussing nan changes, which was reviewed by Reuters. In nan memo, Jehn told nan airline's unit members that its financial capacity has suffered successful definite short-haul routes successful nan occidental U.S. and Midwest markets, arsenic good arsenic South America.

"More than ever, each way has to gain its correct to enactment successful nan network," Jehn wrote. He added that nan move doesn't alteration nan airline's capacity outlook for this year, which is expected to driblet by a debased single-digit percent complaint from 2023.

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JetBlue is dealing pinch a shortage of craft successful its fleet arsenic immoderate of its craft are grounded owed to motor inspections. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)

New JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty has vowed to return "aggressive action" to return nan hose to profitability. The measures see nan deferral of astir $2.5 cardinal successful craft superior expenditures and cutting costs done buyouts to labor successful corporate, airdrome and customer support functions. JetBlue is besides trying to make an other $300 cardinal successful gross this year.

JetBlue's projected merger pinch Spirit Airlines was blocked by a national judge successful January aft nan tribunal recovered that nan merger would wounded consumers by combining 2 low-cost airlines that would different compete for passengers.

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In nan aftermath of nan ruling, JetBlue and Spirit officially terminated nan projected merger and person looked to restructure their operations to amended their financial performance.

Reuters contributed to this report.