JetBlue tightens seat belt, plans to cut some flights in Florida, other parts of the country. What to know

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

Weeks after pulling out of a proposed $3.8 billion merger with Spirit Airlines after it was blocked by a court ruling, JetBlue has announced they are eliminating some unprofitable routes. That includes two leading to South Florida cities.

The airline is also completely pulling out of Kansas City, Missouri; Newburgh, New York; Bogota, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; and Lima, Peru, beginning June 13, according to The Associated Press.

New York-based JetBlue is the nation's sixth-biggest airline by revenue and flies to more than 100 cities across the country with some international flights, but the AP reported the company has lost more than $2 billion since 2019, its last profitable year. The company attempted to grow with a partnership with Spirit but the Justice Department sued to block it last year, saying the merger would reduce competition and drive up fares.

A federal district judge agreed and blocked the deal in January. JetBlue's CEO Robin Hayes announced the same month that he'd be stepping down to be replaced by Joanna Geraghty, the airline's president.

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Which Florida airports are losing JetBlue flights?

The airline will drop these flights from two Florida airports:

  • Miami International Airport (MIA) and Los Angeles

  • Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Salt Lake City, Utah

What other flights is JetBlue canceling?

According to The Associated Press, JetBlue will drop:

  • Los Angeles to Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Flights between New York and Detroit

Why is JetBlue dropping Florida flights?

The changes are intended to focus on stronger markets and to help deal with the grounding of some of its planes for inspections of their Pratt & Whitney GTF engines due to a defective disc problem identified last summer. From 12 to 15 of the company's Airbus aircraft will be grounded at different times during 2024, chief financial officer Ursula Hurley said at an investor conference in February.

Is JetBlue adding flights to Orlando International Airport?

FOX 35 reported that a JetBlue spokesperson said the airline plans to "bolster" service by increasing the frequency of flights in areas with strong demand, although the specific routes have not been made public.

Last year the airline announced a plan to increase to 200 flights a day in Orlando by 2027, but that was to happen after the planned merger with Spirit. The company called Orlando a "JetBlue focus city."

New flights added last year connected Orlando to Punta Cana and Santiago in the Dominican Republic. JetBlue also added nonstop service from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Worcester (ORH) in Massachusetts and year-round flights between Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee International Airport (TLH).

What Florida airports does JetBlue fly into?

Florida cities with JetBlue service currently include:

  • Fort Lauderdale, FLL

  • Fort Myers, RSW

  • Jacksonville, JAX

  • Key West, EYW

  • Miami, MIA

  • Orlando, MCO

  • Sarasota, SRQ

  • Tallahassee, TLH

  • Tampa, TPA

  • West Palm Beach, PBI

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: JetBlue ending routes in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, boost Orlando flights

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