JetBlue is Preparing to Cut Back Summer Schedule to Avoid any Flight Disruptions

Apr 11, 2022 By MarketDepth

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JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) is preparing to cut back its summer schedule in order to avoid any flight disruptions as it struggles to hire more employees ahead of the busy travel season. U.S. airlines are currently working to quickly and efficiently ramp up hiring as they prepare for the increased summer travel demand. 

“We’ve already reduced May capacity 8-10% and you can expect to see a similar size capacity pull for the remainder of the summer.”

Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s COO and president, said in an email to staff on Saturday, seen by CNBC

“Despite these challenges and, based on your feedback that the schedule is wound too tight, we know the best plan is to reduce capacity now,” Geraghty wrote. “I think everyone recognizes that the industry still remains very much in recovery mode, so we believe this proactive step is the right decision.”

Weather and Staff Issues

Many airlines have been forced to cancel hundreds if not thousands of flights, since September, amid weather disruptions and staffing shortages. JetBlue itself canceled over 300 flights over the weekend following bad weather in Florida.

Staff Issues into Summer

According to the airline, it anticipates “continued industry challenges and heavy demand into the summer, we are planning more conservatively and trying to be proactive where we can with cancellations due to disruptive weather and air traffic control events.”

JetBlue has yet to comment on the matter.