JetBlue is adding four new routes out of Hartford, Connecticut, in a bid to become the state’s largest carrier by 2021. The airline, which already flies to Florida and Puerto Rico from Hartford, is expanding with new transcontinental and international leisure services. Here are JetBlue’s new routes.
JetBlue adds four new routes
Out of Hartford, JetBlue will add nonstop flights to the following destinations from Bradley International Airport (BDL):
- Cancun (CUN) in Mexico starting November 19th (subject to government approval)
- Los Angeles (LAX) starting December 18th
- Las Vegas (LAS) starting December 18th
- San Francisco (SFO) starting December 18th
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Head of revenue and planning at JetBlue, Scott Laurence, stated the following on the new routes in a press release viewed by Simple Flying:
“We are excited to roll out these new routes connecting Hartford to some of our largest leisure destinations, bringing more low fares and great service to Connecticut residents. We are proud to play our part in support of Gov. Lamont’s economic recovery plan. We see great long-term potential for our business in Connecticut, as it becomes an increasingly attractive place to live and work. Additionally, the simplified travel advisory gives clarity to everyone who needs or wants to travel through Bradley International Airport.”
Transcontinental flying is working out for JetBlue
JetBlue does not have a central US hub. Instead, passengers can either connect in a JetBlue base like Boston, New York-JFK, or Fort Lauderdale and then make their way out to the West Coast. Otherwise, JetBlue launches nonstop transcontinental service on its own volition. The latter is the spirit JetBlue is acting on for these new flights.
This month, JetBlue announced an impressive expansion of transcontinental flying from Los Angles to cities like Charleston, Raleigh, Richmond, and from Las Vegas to Richmond, among others.
Becoming the largest carrier in Connecticut
Bradley International Airport is the largest airport in Connecticut and the second-largest in New England after Boston. Though most passengers flying to and from Hartford are coming or going to a domestic destination, the airport does see some international service from Aer Lingus on an Airbus A321LR, and Montreal and Toronto on Air Canada regional jets.
According to JetBlue, these routes are part of the airline’s strategy to add routes with leisure demand. Not to mention, the airline is looking to be the largest carrier in Connecticut. Pre-crisis, the airline flew up to 12 flights per day from Hartford. With these new routes, the airline states it will have the most nonstop destinations out of BDL than any other airline.
Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, however, shows that the airline has some work to do. In 2019, the carrier had a market share of 13.52% in Hartford, making it the fourth-largest airline in the city after Southwest (21.63%), American (19.10%), and Delta (17.85%). While there is also Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN), that airport does not get as much traffic as BDL and, thus, the largest carrier in Connecticut is usually the largest carrier at BDL.
To further this strategy, JetBlue has two ways to go about it. First, it can add more flights on existing routes that have performed well. Or, the second option would be for the carrier to launch some new flights. Either of these is an option for JetBlue and would benefit customers.
Are you glad to see JetBlue launching more flights out of Hartford? Let us know in the comments!
