JetBlue reinforces foothold in New York with planned Long Island operations

US carrier JetBlue Airways intends to start operating from Long Island MacArthur airport in October, reinforcing and diversifying its presence in the New York metropolitan area. JetBlue disclosed on June 11 that it plans to launch its first-ever flights from Long Island to three cities in Florida, with daily service to Orlando and four-times weekly service to Palm Beach starting on 24 October. Four-times weekly flights to Fort Lauderdale will begin the following day. New York-basedJetBlue’s network is focused heavily in the Northeastern USA, with busy operations out of John F Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty international airports. ”By the end of 2024, JetBlue will serve more than 80 nonstop destinations and offer an average of over 200 departures per day from New York City,” the carrier says. Dave Jehn, JetBlue’s vice-president of network planning and airline partnerships, calls Long Island an “integral part of the New York metro area”, while local leaders tout the less-trafficked airport as a more convenient alternative to JFK and LaGuardia.<br/>