Manchester, New Hampshire, July 11, 2026, 10:08 (EDT)
JetBlue Airways NASDAQ:JBLU left Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Wednesday, wrapping up operations only 17 months after starting service there. The airline cut flights on weaker routes and moved planes to busier airports. The last flight out of MHT flew on July 8.
There was no drop in airport traffic. Departing passenger numbers rose 4.75% in the year to April, but scheduled departures jumped 8.60%, which is almost double the pace. That drop in average passengers per departure, down 3.5%, can help airlines work out where a plane is likely to earn more.
| MHT operating measure | 12 months to April 2025 | 12 months to April 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Departing passengers | 650,000 | 681,000 | +4.75% |
| Scheduled departures | 9,762 | 10,602 | +8.60% |
| Passengers per departure | 66.6 | 64.2 | -3.5% |
| Scheduled carriers | 17 | 13 | -23.53% |
The ratio isn’t a load factor, which tracks how full a plane flies — seat counts don’t match up across aircraft types. It’s just a general read on traffic density and can’t prove if JetBlue’s routes pay off. Federal data show JetBlue had 145,000 Manchester fliers and a 10.67% market share. Southwest Airlines NYSE:LUV carried 632,000 and took 46.50%.
JetBlue started flying out of Manchester on January 23, 2025, launching daily flights to Orlando, three a week to Fort Myers, and four to Fort Lauderdale with Airbus A320s. Back then, Daniel Shurz, JetBlue’s network chief, said flyers were getting “the convenience of another local airport.” Seventeen months later, JetBlue wrapped up the trial. JetBlue Investor Relations
JetBlue’s Florida business is growing. The carrier launched eight new nonstops from Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, raising its Florida schedule to over 125 daily departures and more than 55 destinations. JetBlue says it will fly about 150 daily flights out of Fort Lauderdale this winter. That’s already up more than 75% from last year. CEO Joanna Geraghty said Fort Lauderdale is “a cornerstone of our network.” JetBlue Newsroom
JetBlue’s numbers show why focusing more planes makes sense. In its latest investor update, the airline forecast second-quarter capacity growth of 2% to 4% and RASM gains between 9% and 12%. RASM, or revenue per available seat mile, tracks sales for every seat flown one mile. JetBlue also expected fuel costs of $4.26 to $4.36 a gallon and said it would cover at least 40% of that increase.
Delta Air Lines NYSE:DAL raised its bar on Friday, posting almost 14% revenue growth with only about 1% extra capacity. The airline clawed back around 60% of its higher fuel bill for the quarter. CEO Ed Bastian said low-fare carriers need to lift ticket prices by about 5% just to cover fuel at current rates. Raymond James analyst Savanthi Syth warned Delta’s 2026 outlook is based on an earlier fuel curve, before the latest U.S.-Iran flare up.
U.S. markets were closed for the weekend, but JetBlue didn’t get much investor interest on Friday. Shares dropped more than those of three listed peers, while the Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average both climbed.
| Airline | July 10 close | Friday move |
|---|---|---|
| JetBlue Airways NASDAQ:JBLU | $5.76 | fell 2.70% |
| Southwest Airlines NYSE:LUV | $48.43 | dropped 1.61% |
| Delta Air Lines NYSE:DAL | $87.39 | lost 1.81% |
| United Airlines Holdings NASDAQ:UAL | $126.00 | slipped 2.36% |
Market close numbers: MarketWatch/Dow Jones.
JetBlue’s move in Fort Lauderdale isn’t enough to fix its balance sheet. S&P downgraded the airline to CCC+ in June, pushing it deeper into junk territory. The ratings agency said JetBlue probably won’t generate positive free cash flow before 2028 and sees leverage close to 10 times by the end of 2027. If demand in Fort Lauderdale falls short or fares drop after the summer, cutting Manchester might not save enough to make a difference.
Next week, markets will be watching oil and United. Brent crude is on track for a 5.5% weekly gain by Friday, driven by tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. United reports Q2 results July 16 at 10:30 a.m. EDT. Investors are looking for signs of capacity discipline after summer and want to know how much of the higher fuel costs can be pushed to fares — with a close eye on whether JetBlue’s network cuts are happening fast enough.
