TAP Air Portugal pushes for fast-tracked codeshare with JetBlue

Star Alliance carrier TAP Air Portugal is asking US civil aviation regulators to fast-track approval of its proposed codeshare agreement with New York’s JetBlue Airways. According to a 31 January filing with the US Department of Transportation, the Portuguese carrier intends to display JetBlue’s designator code on TAP-operated flights starting in mid-February, and requests expedited approval of its application “to facilitate advance marketing and sales of the new codeshare services”. TAP initially intends to display JetBlue’s code on its flights between Lisbon and Boston, Miami, Newark, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC, apparently intending to leverage JetBlue’s strong presence on the East Coast of the USA. The co-operation will allow JetBlue to “expand its online network, thereby fostering competition and enhancing service options for passengers in the codeshare markets”, TAP argues in its filing. “The codeshare operations will also promote more efficient use of TAP’s capacity.” The Lisbon-based carrier operates an all-Airbus fleet with about 80 aircraft in service, including 22 A330s that it uses for long-haul flying, according to Cirium fleets data. <br/>