JetBlue has launched its highly anticipated route between Boston Logan Airport (BOS) and London's Gatwick Airport (LGW).
The first service took flight yesterday (August 4th) and is part of JetBlue's daily focus city strategy and long-term transatlantic expansion plans (and also to hedge their bets...see below).
JetBlue Fills the Requested Boston - London Demand
London is the largest unserved nonstop market from Boston, and it's one of JetBlue's most popular destinations among its large Boston client base.
JetBlue began flying between New York's JFK and London's two busiest airports, Heathrow and Gatwick last year.
JetBlue Plans Boston - London Heathrow Service in September
JetBlue is planning to grow its transatlantic presence this year with new service from Boston Logan to London’s Heathrow Airport, launching September 20, 2022. Additionally, starting October 29, 2022, JetBlue will offer an additional departure from New York’s Gatwick Airport.
By October, JetBlue will fly five daily flights between the United States and the United Kingdom out of its New York and Boston focus cities.
The busiest airports in the United Kingdom are London Heathrow and Gatwick, which offer passengers a wide range of facilities. JetBlue has bases at both terminals, with a selection of passenger services available, including a variety of shops and restaurants.
“Our London service from New York has been an incredible success and we are thrilled to finally bring this highly anticipated service to our Boston customers, a route that has long suffered from high fares by legacy carriers,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “As Boston’s largest carrier, adding this nonstop service to Gatwick will only make us more relevant in our New England focus city and introduce JetBlue to a largely unserved market.”
SGF Take: JetBlue needs to be aggressive in its route expansion. They will almost certainly have to give up route slots in various markets due to the upcoming Spirit acquisition to satisfy government regulators over anti-trust issues. This is assuming, of course, that the government doesn't quash the deal outright.