After merger failure, JetBlue now says it will cut back flights, routes

Chris Benson
·2 min read
UPI
Earlier this year, a planned merger between JetBlue Airways (pictured) and Spirit Airlines failed. On Tuesday, New York-based JetBlue Airways said that it plans to cut back on multiple routes in the United States, Mexico and South America. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

March 19 (UPI) -- After a failed merger with Spirit Airlines earlier this year, New York-based JetBlue Airways said Tuesday that it plans to cut back on routes in the United States, Mexico and South America.

A JetBlue executive said in a memo that the company will instead focus on "bread and butter" East Coast routes and some parts in the Caribbean region, such Orlando, Tampa and Puerto Rico. The moves come as JetBlue reports a revenue decline and net loss in its most recent quarter.

"With less aircraft time available and the need to improve our financial performance, more than ever, every route has to earn its right to stay in the network," Dave Jehn, JetBlue's vice president of network planning and airline partnerships, said in a memo.

Departures out of Los Angeles International Airport are expected to be reduced to 24 from 34, and other cuts will include California from San Francisco down to L.A., Seattle, Reno, Las Vegas, Miami and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

By June, JetBlue plans to end flights to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Missouri, as well as air travel affecting Atlanta, Austin, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Detroit, New York City and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Following the mutual end to JetBlue's merger with Spirit Airlines, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said on March 3 that the company had "a strong organic plan" and the airline had "already begun to advance our plan to restore profitability" by "refocusing on its core strengths -- deepening its network relevance in proven geographies and better segmenting its product offerings to enhance its competitive position -- while delivering meaningful cost savings."

The company memo obtained by multiple news outlets called the flight pattern changes "a fact of life at every airline, but that doesn't make it easy to see a favorite route or BlueCity go away," adding that JetBlue thinks "it's more important than ever that we are surgical about every route in our network, especially as court decisions around the Northeast Alliance and Spirit have impacted our ability to grow."