JetBlue to trim Recent York flights due to FAA staffing shortages

JetBlue Airways is preparing to chop scores of weekly flights within the Recent York City area this spring and summer in response to a shortage of air traffic controllers, a measure that can have a financial impact on the airline, CEO Robin Hayes told CNBC on Wednesday.

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration unveiled a recent plan to assist avoid a repeat of 2022’s flight disruptions, reducing flight requirements by as much as 10% for airlines’ takeoff and landing rights to avoid congestion within the Recent York City area and Washington, D.C. The FAA cited its staffing shortfall. The waivers will last from May 15 through Sept. 15.

“We don’t need to drag down flights. I’m sure no airline wants to drag down flights,” Hayes said in an interview with CNBC ahead of an event on the Economic Club of Recent York. “But when we do not cut them the system will not be going to be workable this summer.”

The staffing shortfall and potential schedule cuts within the region highlight the problem airlines have faced to ramp up capability as travel demand returns within the wake of a pandemic lull.

Flight cancellations and delays were elevated during peak parts of 2022, and airlines scaled back schedules then to place more slack within the system. If weather is bad or there are other challenges, disruptions are likely to cascade if airlines have packed their schedules with too many flights.

Hayes said the newest measure is especially impactful for JetBlue, which is predicated in Recent York City, since the overwhelming majority of its flights take off from or land in town or transit its airspace.

“We’re staffed, we have already trained pilots, we’re paying for pilots, we have bought airplanes, we’re paying for gates and slots,” Hayes said. “That is going to have a really significant financial impact on JetBlue and our customers.”

Delta Air Lines asked the FAA to return as much as 10% of the airline’s slots or operating times on the three major airports serving Recent York City and at Washington Reagan National Airport for the period. United Airlines made the same request.

Carriers have until April 30 to request the waiver.

“This [air traffic controller] staffing issue has been around for years,” Hayes said. The airline hasn’t yet applied for slot or operating time waivers, but Hayes said the carrier plans to accomplish that and notify customers as soon as possible.

On Wednesday, the FAA held a gathering with airline executives about measures to ease congestion within the Recent York area. It held similar conversations last 12 months about busy airspace in Florida, and agreed to spice up staffing to handle a surge in traffic there.

“Operators requested collaboration and communication with the FAA early and sometimes to plan for circumstances that would end in delays, including weather events, space launches and military operations,” the FAA said in a press release. “They discussed how closer collaboration and frequent air traffic updates would help them more effectively schedule crews.”

Participants also discussed alternate flight paths resembling over-water routes, the FAA said.