JetBlue Found its Place to Be No. 1

And the airline is going in big, with lots of resources. I think it's the the right move, even if it puts 2026 profitability in jeopardy.

Dear readers,

When JetBlue repositioned itself as a Northeast-centric leisure airline after Robin Hayes’ departure (for health reasons), I understood and endorsed the retreat. The airline’s all-things-to-all people approach wasn’t working, and it needed a reset under new CEO Joanna Geraghty.

But most of us knew this regional focus wouldn’t last forever either. Airlines rarely (or never?) succeed when they’re relevant only in a few markets and No. 1 in none.

Recently, though, the airline gods have handed JetBlue a gift. After Spirit filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, it slashed its schedule everywhere, including in Fort Lauderdale, where JetBlue operates an undersized focus city. Even better for JetBlue, while some carriers are adding flights, no other airline (not even United) seems to want to fill the gap, leaving JetBlue an opportunity to command the top position at an important airport.¹