Tiny Cape Air paved way for JetBlue, Spirit to exit big cities

The US DoT Tuesday allowed JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines to halt flights to several large US cities through September, thanks in large part to a much smaller commuter airline based in New England. Last month, the department granted a request by Hyannis, Massachusetts-based Cape Air Corp. to suspend service from New York City’s JFK Airport to the coastal vacation isle of Martha’s Vineyard. In its decision, the department said New Yorkers would continue to have abundant access to air travel from other carriers. The department has since applied same criteria to other airlines, including JetBlue and Spirit on Tuesday. It granted JetBlue’s request to suspend service to 16 large hubs including Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Seattle through September. Spirit Airlines had its request approved to suspend service to six cities, including Portland, Oregon, Denver and Minneapolis, through September. Those carriers “will not be obligated to provide service at certain large hubs or focus city airports that have abundant service by large air carriers using the airports to provide connecting services,” the department said in a statement. “This grant of relief is in line with the Department’s most recent action in the case of Hyannis Air Service d/b/a Cape Air.”<br/>