JetBlue is expanding flights throughout the Northeast including new and returning routes from New York.
The Queens-based airline is going after East Coast business travelers with the launch of daily service out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Washington, D.C., Detroit, Pittsburg and elsewhere, after culling the routes as part of a broader restructuring. In New Jersey, JetBlue will similarly resume flights to Los Angeles and Domingo, Dominican Republic out of Newark Liberty International Airport.
The new and returning routes are part of the company’s strategy, unveiled late last year, to nix unprofitable flights and direct the airline’s resources to its core market. JetBlue kicked off those efforts last fall with plans to launch its first-ever airport lounges in JFK and Boston Logan airports as part of a push toward premium customer experiences.
JetBlue will also launch five new routes out of Boston, including to Edinburgh, Madrid and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“We’re excited to build on our momentum, offering customers across the Northeast and beyond even more travel opportunities,” said Daniel Shurz, JetBlue’s head of revenue, network, and enterprise planning, in a Wednesday statement.
Among the new offerings are enhanced connections to Latin America. From New York’s JFK, JetBlue is launching its first flights to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. As of April 30, the airline will expand its presence in Guatemala City with new daily flights to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The route is intended to complement the airline’s existing service between Guatemala City and JFK.
JetBlue’s reorganization comes as the airline doubles down on making it as a standalone carrier after a judge last year blocked its merger with Spirit Airlines, which has since filed for bankruptcy. A separate court in December upheld a ruling that American Airlines cannot partner with JetBlue because it would stifle competition.
