JetBlue’s axing up to 10% of its NYC routes as airport shortages cloud a busy travel season
NYC’s rush hour… has moved from the streets to the skies. The FAA announced plans last week to reduce airport congestion in NYC and DC this summer by cutting flights into the hubs. A big issue: NY’s air-traffic-control staff (which is hired by the FAA) is at only 54% of capacity, compared to a national average of 81%. Now JetBlue plans to cut a chunk of its flights just before peak flying season.
Smaller apple: JetBlue’s prepping to axe up to 10% of its flights in busy airports like JFK and LaGuardia. That could mean fewer route options for your summer vacay.
True blues: JetBlue could take a bigger financial hit than rivals who aren’t based in NYC, because nearly 60% of its flights go in and out of the NY area daily.
Request received: Delta and United also offered to cut some of their NY-based flights, but only if regulators promise to give the routes back after the busy season.
Four-hour flight… an hour on the tarmac. Last year about 2.7% of all US flights were canceled, the highest rate in a decade (apart from pandemic 2020) — and JetBlue had the highest percentage of cancellations. Weather was a key factor, but staffing shortages didn’t help. To improve reliability, Delta and American have agreed to multiyear raises for their pilots, while JetBlue splurged on new staff and planes. But even if the airlines are better staffed, it’ll be hard to fly high without enough FAA airport employees to get ’em off the ground.
Sometimes you have to off-load to take off… While fewer routes would mean fewer options (and likely higher prices), airlines are trying to avoid more cancellations and delays by being proactive. By making congestion-fighting cuts now, they could avoid angry customers later. Last summer, 350 flights/day were delayed in NY, partly because of the air-traffic-control shortage. Congestion would be 45% worse this year without industry-wide cuts, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said, citing the FAA.