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JetBlue has the largest presence of any airline at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU). By this winter, JetBlue will offer nonstop flights between Puerto Rico and 18 cities in the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It will also base both pilots and flight attendants there (the first location outside of the continental United States).
The low-cost carrier has been flying to Puerto Rico for 22 years. Given its presence in San Juan, one would think that it would be crew base, but it’s not currently. It’s expected that in 2025, JetBlue will bring more than 400 local jobs to San Juan. This operational expansion will station up to 120 pilots and up to 325 inflight crew members at the airport (this means that they will start and end trips here).
JetBlue’s other crew bases currently include:
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Warren Christie, JetBlue’s Chief Operating Officer, said:
We’re so excited to base hundreds more crewmembers right here in San Juan, where we are proud to be the largest airline with plans to grow even more. The new crew base will support our operation as we grow and benefit the local economy in a place we are proud to call home. We are so proud that our superior product and service has resonated with Puerto Ricans and the many visitors we bring to the island. As we set out to connect more people and destinations to Puerto Rico, we will do it by ensuring our staffing and our service meet the needs of our customers and standards they expect from JetBlue.”
Earlier this month, I wrote about how JetBlue Airways announced that it was increasing service to/from San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) with six new routes. It is also upgrading several routes from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to include its Mint (Business Class) cabin.
In addition to positions created by the crew base, the planned network expansion noted above will create around 80 additional new jobs in San Juan including frontline operational positions to technical operations roles.
JetBlue is not the only airline with its eyes on Puerto Rico. Frontier Airlines announced four months ago that a new pilot and flight attendant base is being opened in San Juan (up to 290 crew members will be based there). Frontier has also doubled its seat capacity over the past four years.
Anthony’s Take: JetBlue is pivoting after its attempt to acquire Spirit Airlines failed and the Northeast Alliance with American Airlines was dissolved. It’s adding routes and trying to figure out what’s next. Adding to its position in Puerto Rico is a smart move.
(Image Credits: JetBlue.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
