Newcomer JetBlue wants more competition at Schiphol despite the downturn

When reducing the number of flights at Schiphol, sufficient competition must remain between airlines. This is what JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said on Wednesday, after the airline’s plane landed at Schiphol Airport for the first time. “New airlines need to be added. It is not good for there to be only one airline and little competition.

Earlier, the judge ruled that the chaebol must be reduced in order to reduce noise disturbance to local residents. Next year, the airport must reduce the number of flights from 500,000 to 460,000. In 2025, this should be 20,000 fewer trips. Despite the downturn, JetBlue has become Schiphol’s newest airline since Wednesday.

JetBlue will fly to and from New York daily starting Wednesday. A daily flight between Schiphol and Boston will be added next month. The Dutch airport is JetBlue’s third European destination. The company already flies to London and since this summer also to Paris. “We expect things to be the same in Amsterdam as they are in Paris,” says Hayes. The Airbus A321 flown by JetBlue in the Netherlands can carry 134 passengers.

In addition to JetBlue, KLM, Delta and American Airlines currently fly between Schiphol and the United States. The CEO says JetBlue differentiates itself because the airline is cheaper than competitors. According to him, Schiphol has also been chosen as a new European destination because there is strong demand for cheap flights to Schiphol from the two American cities.

The CEO hopes to be able to fly more between Schiphol and the United States in the future. He cannot say whether this will happen or not. “It’s more difficult to get openings here than in other destinations.”

JetBlue is a low-cost airline with over a hundred destinations. In addition to the United States and Europe, the airline also flies to Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada and the United Kingdom.