JetBlue plans to expand transatlantic services into continental Europe with new service to Paris starting next summer.
Paris will be JetBlue’s second transatlantic destination following the airline’s successful launch of service to London in August 2021, where it has quickly grown its schedule to five daily flights between the United States and the United Kingdom.
With service to both London and Paris, JetBlue said it will play a unique role in disrupting high-fare legacy carriers that have used joint ventures and global alliances to dominate these routes for decades.
“JetBlue is offering something completely unique to what you get from the big global legacy airlines on these routes – where a single high-fare joint venture operates nearly three-quarters of the flying,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “The response to our London service is proof that combining great service with low fares works. We can’t wait to bring our reimagined Mint and core offerings to continental Europe’s most visited city.”
JetBlue plans to launch nonstop service between New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in summer 2023, and will later add nonstop service between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Paris-CDG. Seats will go on sale in the coming months.
Paris is the largest European destination not currently served by JetBlue from its two Northeast focus cities, New York and Boston – and the market between the US and France is the second biggest in the world. JetBlue plans to offer flights to Paris from both cities as it continues to grow its relevance in the Northeast with new routes most frequently requested by customers.
The Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft – offering the range of a wide-body but with the economics of a single-aisle aircraft will allow JetBlue to effectively compete on flights between New York/Boston and Paris. JetBlue converted 13 aircraft in its existing A321 order book to the LR version in April 2019 with the ability to convert more. Additionally, JetBlue has converted another 13 aircraft in its existing order book to the Extra-Long Range – or XLR – version of the A321 which is due to enter service in 2024.
The A321LR will allow JetBlue to tap into new long-haul markets, like London and Paris, that were not previously accessible with the airline’s existing fleet. The LR’s range of up to 4,000 nautical miles is made possible by three additional centre fuel tanks and the aircraft delivers 30% fuel savings and nearly 50% reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generations of aircraft. JetBlue is also the global launch partner for the new Airspace by Airbus cabin, bringing long-haul style to the A321 for the first time ever.
JetBlue’s A321LR is powered by two Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. The GTF engine, with its revolutionary geared fan technology, incorporates advances in aerodynamics, lightweight materials and other major technology improvements.
