NEW YORK, May 21, 2026, 08:02 EDT
JetBlue Airways plans to drop 11 routes this summer and will exit Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. Planes are shifting to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Routes out of Newark Liberty, Hartford Bradley, Providence Rhode Island T.F. Green, and Orlando are also being cut.
JetBlue is ramping up at Fort Lauderdale after Spirit Airlines stopped flights on May 2. The carrier is moving in with plans for 11 new destinations, more flights, and almost 130 daily departures from the airport this summer. That’s more than 75% higher than what it expects in 2025. Fort Lauderdale is now seen as a rare new opening.
JetBlue is cutting some flights but says this isn’t part of a major pullback. The airline told Boston.com it’s dropping “a small number of underperforming routes” and moving those planes to better markets. Service at Manchester ends July 8. Manchester airport called the decision “very disappointed.” JetBlue said people on canceled flights can book another JetBlue route if it’s offered, or get their money back. Boston.com
JetBlue is pulling several leisure routes. The carrier will end Manchester flights to Orlando, Fort Myers, and Fort Lauderdale. Hartford–Tampa is out too. Also going are Newark to Aruba, Cancun, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, and Tampa. The airline is cutting Orlando to San Jose, Costa Rica, and Providence to San Juan. Business Insider, citing Cirium schedules, said Providence–San Juan might come back in December.
JetBlue President Marty St. George said in Fort Lauderdale the airline is “stepping up” after Spirit shut down, aiming to keep air service running. CEO Joanna Geraghty said JetBlue plans to “fill the void” left for Spirit customers and employees. The airline is offering $99 rescue fares and capping prices for some stranded travelers. JetBlue Newsroom
Spirit Airlines stopped flying on May 2 as fuel costs hammered its business, Reuters reported. The ultra-low-cost carrier, known for cheap fares with add-ons, has shut down, leaving JetBlue and Frontier with a shot to get more traffic. Still, both face the same fuel price squeeze on low-fare routes.
Carriers are moving in on Spirit’s old routes. Travel Weekly, citing Ailevon Pacific, said six airlines have rolled out new service or added seats on 57 ex-Spirit routes. Frontier, JetBlue and Breeze are among those ramping up.
JetBlue is moving ahead even as it faces ongoing financial pressure. The airline posted first-quarter revenue of $2.2 billion, but took a net loss of $319 million. It sees fuel costs for the second quarter in the range of $4.13 to $4.28 a gallon. Chief Financial Officer Ursula Hurley called the operating environment volatile, “particularly with fuel prices.” JetBlue Investor Relations
But the Fort Lauderdale play could fill up quickly, and it might not fix the margin squeeze if fuel stays high or fares drop. “They can’t just be the cheapest airline anymore,” Shye Gilad, a former airline captain who teaches at Georgetown University, told the AP, talking about low-cost airlines trying to hang on after Spirit’s collapse. AP News
JetBlue shares were indicated at $4.73 ahead of the U.S. open, putting the airline’s market cap close to $1.76 billion.
