JetBlue pick Paris for Transatlantic growth

Next up across the Atlantic for JetBlue: Paris. The carrier announced the French capital as its second transatlantic market, with service planned to launch in Summer 2023. Flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport will initially operate from JetBlue’s main hub at New York’s JFK airport, with flights from Boston following.

The response to our London service is proof that combining great service with low fares works. We can’t wait to bring our reimagined Mint and core offerings to Continental Europe’s most visited city.

– Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue

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Similar to the London service launched in August 2021, JetBlue will operate to Paris with its A321LR fleet. The planes feature 24 lie-flat beds with a privacy door in the Mint business class cabin and 114 economy class seats. The planes also feature personal entertainment screens at every seat and complimentary high-speed inflight internet service throughout the flight.

Read more: JetBlue snags second Heathrow slot

Also similar to the London launch, JetBlue will face massive competition with its Paris service launch. The JFK-CDG market expected to see nine daily flights for Summer 2023 according to schedule data from Cirium, dominated by the Delta Air Lines/Air France pair delivering eight frequencies. American Airlines also currently plans a single daily trip.

Read more: JetBlue’s London launch brings an unexpected disruption to fares

Adding in Newark and Orly, the NYC-Paris market expected to see 15 daily trips from six airlines, including an all-premium operation and high capacity, low cost carrier service. JetBlue will operate an aircraft with half the seats of its closest competitor (AA), and only two classes of service, compared to as many as four from Air France.

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Still, the NYC-Paris market appears to be willing to deliver near unlimited demand, similar to NYC-Florida. And JetBlue’s position in the NYC market should allow it to fill the planes at reasonable fare levels. Perhaps the bigger question is whether JetBlue entering the market will truly sway fares. Given the relatively low number of seats JetBlue will fly and the limited classes of service, that net result is unclear.

As for the Boston-Paris route, JetBlue still faces competition from Delta and Air France in that market. Also, the carrier notes it “will later add” that route, but does not suggest a timeline for it.

Deliveries of the A321LR planes are currently behind schedule, forcing JetBlue to operate some of its London trips with an A321neo instead. Presumably the carrier is confident that Airbus will provide sufficient new aircraft between now and next Summer to allow for the expanded operations.