Skift Take
What choice does JetBlue have but to downplay its competitive problems in Boston? But this is not good for the airline. It was bad enough when JetBlue had to worry about new routes from Delta. Now American is joining the mix.
JetBlue Airways Chief Financial Officer Steve Priest on Wednesday chided aviation pundits who are asking if the nation's sixth-largest airline can maintain its dominant position in Boston as two larger carriers — American Airlines and Delta Air Lines — boost their presence at the airport.
He said JetBlue would be fine. "Commentators talk about Boston, they talk about Fort Lauderdale," he added during the Barclays Industrials Select Conference in Miami. "We are 20 years old now. We are very used to competitive incursions."
It's true JetBlue so far has withstood competition in Fort Lauderdale amid a challenge from Spirit Airlines. But what is coming to Boston may be unlike anything the airline has faced. In the past six months, Delta and American have signaled they will expand significantly in Boston, which accounts for about 30 percent of JetBlue's capacity, according to airline analyst Joseph DeNardi of Stifel.
Delta moved first, saying last summer it planned to build a hub in Boston,
