JetBlue Warns of Possible Air Traffic Control Flight Disruptions This Winter
Photo Credit: JetBlue President Joanna Geraghty has warned of air traffic control issues potentially delaying or cancelling flights this winter. Skift / Neil van Niekerk
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JetBlue may have its own operational house in order this holiday season, but the carrier is out there first saying it could be U.S. air traffic control issues that send things awry.
JetBlue Airways is finally coming back from its operational missteps this spring that forced deep cuts to its summer schedule. But that recovery may hit turbulence this winter as air traffic control issues remain a top concern for the airline.
Joanna Geraghty, president of the New York-based carrier, repeatedly cited air traffic control "constraints," including "staffing headwinds," as operational concerns this winter and into 2023. Speaking during JetBlue's third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, she said the situation has forced the airline to maintain an elevated number of pilots in "reserve" — or on call — in the event of delays.
"The [air traffic control] environment remains fragile," Geraghty said, even as she thanked the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which manages air traffic control, for its transparency on the situation.
Concerns with U.S. air traffic control staffing came to the fore this spring. That's when a shortage at the FAA'
