JetBlue is discontinuing 24 routes and exiting seven cities, while reinforcing its commitment to New England.

As part of its latest network overhaul, JetBlue is pausing or eliminating service on two dozen routes and completely removing seven cities from its map.

The New York-based airline, aiming to regain profitability, announced a series of changes on Wednesday.

JetBlue is introducing seven new routes, primarily from New England airports, and expanding its Mint service to additional domestic routes.

However, the focus is really on the route cuts, which take center stage.

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JetBlue plans to seasonally suspend or completely cut service on 24 routes, halting operations in over seven cities, including major U.S. airports like Charlotte Douglas (CLT), Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), and San Antonio (SAT).

Additionally, the airline is making further reductions to its winter transatlantic schedule, removing flights from Boston Logan (BOS) to Amsterdam from late October to late March.

However, not everything is about schedule cuts and reductions.

JetBlue is introducing several new routes, particularly focusing on flights between the Northeast and Florida.

Among these new routes is the airline's inaugural service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire. This initiative is part of a larger strategy to enhance service throughout New England, with additional routes launching in Providence and Portland, Maine, as well as increased flights from Hartford, Connecticut.

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Route expansions

Kicking off with some positive news, here’s a summary of JetBlue’s newly added routes.

JetBlue announced that these "strategic changes" aim to facilitate investments and growth across New England, with a projected 20% increase in seating capacity for the upcoming winter compared to last year.

While JetBlue has maintained a significant presence at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), it faces intensified competition as Delta Air Lines has expanded its operations in the Boston market.

JetBlue President Marty St. George emphasized the airline's unwavering commitment to Boston and its New England customers, promising continued innovation and product enhancements in a recent statement.

A new Mint route for warm-weather travel has been introduced.

In line with network adjustments, JetBlue is increasing the frequency of flights on certain existing routes departing from Boston and other cities in New England.

JetBlue is set to introduce a second daily nonstop flight from Boston to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and will equip the route with a Mint-configured aircraft. As St. George shared in an exclusive interview with TPG last month, the airline is allocating a larger share of its Mint seats to warm-weather destinations this winter.

All of JetBlue's flights between Boston and Phoenix this winter will feature the premium Mint cabin, the airline announced on Wednesday.

Growth in Providence and Hartford

JetBlue is also tripling its seat capacity in Providence this winter compared to last year, and increasing flight frequencies from Hartford's Bradley International Airport (BDL) as well—both locations attracting significant attention from newcomer Breeze Airways.

JetBlue's route reductions

As previously noted, JetBlue is implementing numerous additional network changes. These adjustments include completely withdrawing from certain cities, discontinuing specific routes, pausing some seasonal services, and in some instances, not resuming seasonal operations at all.

Cities being eliminated

JetBlue will cease operations at the following airports entirely:

• Charlotte
• Minneapolis-St. Paul
• San Antonio
• Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in California
• Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) in Florida
• Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) in California
• Pointe-a-Pitre International Airport (PTP) in Guadeloupe

Route reductions

Along with the aforementioned city closures, here is the complete list of the 18 routes JetBlue is discontinuing or not resuming when winter arrives.

Seasonal suspensions

JetBlue has announced that six routes currently operating year-round will be suspended during the winter season, with plans to resume in 2025.

The seasonal halt to flights in Amsterdam marks JetBlue's latest adjustment to its transatlantic schedule for the winter season.

In another network adjustment made earlier this year, JetBlue revealed plans to reduce its winter flights to Paris and to discontinue all winter operations to London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

In a conversation with TPG last month, St. George acknowledged the success of JetBlue's three-year-old transatlantic venture but indicated that the airline finds greater potential for its Mint-equipped Airbus A321 aircraft in short-haul, warm-weather destinations during the winter months.

"Every aircraft we operate needs to serve its most effective purpose," he explained. "Considering the service levels we've experienced in Europe during the harsh winter season, along with the opportunities available in the domestic North American market, it seemed like a straightforward decision to make these adjustments."

JetBlue initiated its Amsterdam service in August 2023.

Push for profitability

All these changes are set against a financial backdrop. JetBlue has not turned a profit since the pandemic began, and CEO Joanna Geraghty, who took over this past winter, is on a mission to eliminate unprofitable routes and enhance the airline's financial standing.

In recent months, many airlines have lamented fierce competition that has led to decreased fares and weakened profitability, resulting in a series of network adjustments.

While these trends have been most pronounced among budget airlines, even Delta Air Lines reported profits that fell short of Wall Street's expectations earlier this month, and United Airlines executives moderated their forecasts for the late summer period last week.