JetBlue slows deliveries of aircraft in effort to slow growth and keep costs low
By APTuesday, March 9, 2010
JetBlue scales back growth plans for aircraft
NEW YORK — JetBlue Airways Corp. is slowing deliveries of new aircraft to steady its growth and control costs.
The airline, based in Forest Hills, N.Y., will now take delivery of 4 Airbus A320s next year instead of the 8 previously planned, CEO Dave Barger said at an investor conference Tuesday.
JetBlue has also pushed back two A320 deliveries in 2012. The airline will take delivery of the 6 A320s planned for this 2010 and 2011 in 2015 instead.
The airline will take 1 extra Embraer 190s in 2011, bringing that total to 5 deliveries. But it will push back deliveries of 7 of those planes in 2012, 5 in 2013 and 2014 and 2 in both 2015 and 2016.
As recently as 2006, the company was taking delivery of a new plane every 10 days. Since Barger took the helm in 2007, the company has focused on scaling back its growth to avoid the hefty losses commonly seen at bigger airlines.
JetBlue currently owns 86 A320s and 10 E190s. It’s leasing 24 A320s and 31E190s. They are the only planes JetBlue flies.
