JetBlue will cut flights to and from New York this summer, CEO says

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes warned Wednesday that the low-cost carrier will have to cut flights to and from the New York area this summer due to a significant shortage of air traffic controllers.

During a discussion at the Economic Club of New York in New York, Hayes said the air traffic control center staff who handle all inbound, outbound and transit traffic in New York airspace represent only 54% of what is needed.

That’s compared to the national average of 81%, Hayes continued.

“Even though we’re ready, we have planes, we’ve hired pilots…JetBlue and other airlines are going to have to cut flights to and from New York this summer to cope,” Hayes said. .

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that if the industry did not reduce flights in the region, delays would be 45% worse than last summer, Hayes said.

To put that into perspective, about 350 flights were delayed in the New York area each day last summer, in part due to issues with air traffic control personnel, Hayes said, citing FAA data.

The FAA did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

“Imagine that being 45% worse,” Hayes said. “It’s just not feasible.”

Last week, the FAA said that while it “continues to reduce the air traffic controller training backlog at many FAA air traffic facilities, staffing levels at radar approach control of the New York terminal (N90) continue to fall short of targets”.

However, the agency said it was taking “several steps to ensure safe and smooth air travel to and from New York this summer.”

To try to ease the disruption, the agency said it would “give airlines flexibility on slot usage requirements”. In turn, the FAA expects airlines to take steps to minimize impacts on passengers, including operating larger aircraft to carry more passengers and ensuring passengers are fully informed of any possible disruption.

Hayes said this has more impact on JetBlue than competitors because the majority of its flights, nearly 60%, are daily to and from the New York area.

The news also comes just after the New York-based airline invested tens of millions of dollars to hire.

JetBlue has “hired more people than we’ve ever hired,” Hayes said, to prepare for the busy summer travel season and help New York continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

This, however, “is going to be a significant step backwards in our ability to do that,” he said.

The “10% (of flights) we are cutting more than offsets the growth that was expected to occur,” Hayes added.

The executive also noted that this doesn’t just affect New York.

For example, JetBlue is Boston’s largest airline, but every flight south goes through central New York and is also “going to face similar challenges,” Hayes said.

The CEO added that he wouldn’t be surprised if other airlines followed suit.

JetBlue forecast in January that 2023 revenue would grow between “high single digits and low double digits” and that Available Seat Miles (ASM) would increase by 5.5% to 8.5%.