This month US carrier JetBlue Airways has been celebrating the 15th anniversary of its formation, but development of the airline, one of the most recognised brands in North America and the Caribbean, started one year earlier when its founder, David Neeleman announced plans to launch the low-cost business in February 1999.
Under the guise ‘New Air’ the carrier announced its ambitious intentions in April the same year with a $4 billion order with Airbus for up 75 new A320 aircraft, and lease arrangements for another eight aircraft to support its launch. These, it emerged three months later would offer passengers 24 channels of live satellite television at every seat, then a first for the airline industry.
New Air received an unprecedented exemption for 75 take-off and landing slots at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport from the US Department of Transportation in September 1999 and its first aircraft was delivered on December 4, 1999.
JetBlue was officially born on February 3, 2000 when the US Department of Transport issued it with a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, representing the successful completion of the airline's application processes before both the DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration. Flights commenced just a week later on February 11, 2000 between New York and Fort Lauderdale.
The aircraft was used to grow LAN’s network into Oceania and from July 3, 2002 introduced a new three times weekly Santiago de Chile – Auckland – Sydney route, according to data from scheduled
The schedules below, from intelligence provider OAG, show the airline’s flight offering during its first week of operations, with a second route between New York and Buffalo joining the network from February 17, 2000.
New York – Fort Lauderdale
B6001 JFK1015 – 1305FLL 320 11FEB00
B6001 JFK1035 – 1325FLL 320 D 12FEB00 –
B6003 JFK1400 – 1655FLL 320 D 17FEB00 –
B6011 JFK2055 – 2350FLL 320 D 12FEB00 –
B6004 FLL0710 – 1000JFK 320 D 12FEB00 –
B6012 FLL1400 – 1640JFK 320 D 11FEB00 –
B6014 FLL1730 – 2015JFK 320 D 14FEB00 –
New York – Buffalo
B6002 JFK0710 – 0825BUF 320 D 18FEB00 –
B6004 JFK1030 – 1145BUF 320 D 17FEB00 –
B6006 JFK1715 – 1835BUF 320 D 17FEB00 –
B6001 BUF0855 – 1005JFK 320 D 18FEB00 –
B6003 BUF1215 – 1325JFK 320 D 17FEB00 –
B6005 BUF1905 – 2015JFK 320 D 17FEB00 –
In comparison JetBlue this month is operating ten daily flights between New York and Fort Lauderdale and seven daily flights between New York and Buffalo.
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