JetBlue Airways plans to boost its North Atlantic operations by launching new daytime flights from New York to London – and an alternative to its transatlantic red-eyes.
Starting 25 March, the New-York based discount carrier will begin operating daily flights that will depart John F Kennedy International airport in the morning and touch down at London Heathrow airport in the evening of the same day, JetBlue said on 5 January. Currently, JetBlue’s flights from JFK to Heathrow are overnighters.
On 26 March, the airline will launch westbound flights from London to New York that are scheduled to fly exclusively during daylight hours.
The new schedule – made possible by two slots at Heathrow recently obtained by JetBlue – will provide JetBlue customers “the all-new option to arrive in the United Kingdom the same day they depart the United States,” the airline says.
Meanwhile, JetBlue will reduce its service between JFK and London Gatwick airport from twice to once daily, and will maintain a total of three daily flights between New York and London.
JetBlue also operates daily flights between Boston Logan International airport and London Heathrow and London Gatwick, making it “the only airline to offer service between New England and two of London’s busiest airports”, JetBlue says.
On 9 December, JetBlue expanded its operating partnership with American Airlines with 11 new routes from Boston and New York as a pending decision in a federal antitrust trial challenging their so-called Northeast Alliance (NEA) looms.
The carrier is also tentatively set to acquire rival discount airline Spirit Airlines in a $3.8 billion takeover bid that is pending federal regulatory approval.
