JetBlue’s West Coast Focus City Strategy Lands at LAX

JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced it will make Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) its primary base of operations in greater Los Angeles, advancing its focus city strategy and building relevance for the airline in one of the busiest markets in the world. To enable the shift, the airline will move service currently operated at Long Beach Airport (LGB) to LAX, along with its Long Beach crew and maintenance bases, beginning in October.

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JetBlue announced it will make Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) its primary base of operations in greater Los Angeles, advancing its focus city strategy and building relevance for the airline in one of the busiest markets in the world. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The move consolidates JetBlue’s popular transcon and West Coast service into LAX, initially operating more than 30 daily flights with service between LAX and 13 destinations including four Mint routes – New York-JFK, Boston, Fort Lauderdale and new Mint service to Newark launching July 23. JetBlue flights at LAX will continue to operate from Terminal 5. New LAX markets will be available for purchase tomorrow, July 10.

“LAX is one of JetBlue’s most successful markets and offers the valuable opportunity to grow significantly both domestically and internationally while introducing our low fares on more routes,” said Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning, JetBlue. “The transition to LAX, serving as the anchor of our focus city strategy on the West Coast, sets JetBlue up for success in Southern California. We continue to seize on opportunities to emerge from this pandemic a stronger competitive force in the industry.”

With support from Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), JetBlue plans to embark on a strategic expansion over the next five years with plans to reach roughly 70 flights per day by 2025. This will include multiple new markets, both domestic and international, some of which have never had nonstop service to and from LAX.

“Since it first touched down at LAX in 2009, JetBlue has continued to invest in and expand its presence at our airport, and we are excited that the airline has chosen to grow its LAX operation beginning in October,” said Justin Erbacci, CEO, LAWA. “With seven new routes and more than 30 daily flights, JetBlue will be an important part of LAX’s comeback from historic lows in passenger traffic, and our guests now will have even more choices.”