JetBlue has operated its inaugural service to the Netherlands, landing at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) and marking the opening of another European destination within its network.
Using an Airbus A321LR, registered as N4058J, JetBlue’s customers departed New York John. F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Flight B62288 at 8:40 pm local time (UTC +4), landing at AMS at 9:15 pm local time (UTC +2).
“JetBlue’s transatlantic service has proven to lower fares and benefit customers in markets that have suffered for decades from high fares by legacy carriers,” Robin Hayes, the chief executive officer (CEO) of JetBlue, said.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Royal Schiphol Group, the managing company of AMS, Ruud Sondag, added that it was a “pleasure” to welcome JetBlue to AMS.
However, JetBlue’s search for slots at AMS was anything but pleasurable. In February 2023, it filed a complaint with the United States (US) Department of Transportation (DoT), alleging that the Dutch government acted in an “anti-competitive” manner.
“After years of requests and denials, the slot coordinator for AMS, Airport Coordination Netherlands (ACNL), contacted JetBlue on March 8, 2023, a day after the due date for answers in this proceeding, with an allocation of slots,” JetBlue said in a filing on March 21, 2023.
Furthermore, JetBlue noted that the slots offered by ACNL belonged to the again-bankrupt Flybe and were “ad-hoc and temporary in nature”. Still, JetBlue accepted the allocated landing and departure times, which allowed it to finally launch flights to the Dutch capital.
JetBlue’s flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to AMS are expected to begin on September 20, 2023.
On June 29, 2023, JetBlue also opened a route between JFK and Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG), operating the service with the Airbus A321LR.
Meanwhile, services between BOS and CDG should be coming sometime in 2024.