Summary
- JetBlue has lost its take-off and landing slots at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport attributable to severe capability restrictions imposed by the Dutch government to scale back noise pollution.
- JetBlue is suggesting that US authorities should ban KLM from Recent York JFK Airport in retaliation.
- The restrictions will affect Amsterdam’s position as a serious airport, potentially falling below Frankfurt and Paris when it comes to the variety of flights.
Airport Coordination Netherlands (ACNL) has confirmed that JetBlue has lost its take-off and landing slots at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) for summer 2024, bringing the shortlived service to an end. The news comes amid severe capability restrictions imposed by the Dutch government in a bid to scale back noise pollution.
In September 2023, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport was the third-busiest airport in Europe, with a mean of 4,563 passenger flights per week. Nonetheless, the variety of annual flights on the airport has now been limited to 452,500 for 2024, which is roughly 10% down on its pre-pandemic peak of 500,000.
In consequence of the restrictions, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport could fall below Frankfurt (FRA) and Paris (CDG) in relation to the variety of flights. The plans are highly contested, and in retaliation, JetBlue is arguing that US authorities should ban KLM from Recent York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
The brand new measures mean that as much as 24 airlines without historical rights, including JetBlue, won’t be granted any take-off or landing slots, while those with historical rights may have to scale back their traffic on the airport by 3.1%. This can, after all, hit KLM the toughest – the Dutch flag carrier currently flies to greater than 140 destinations from its hub at Schiphol Airport.
JetBlue – a newcomer to AMS
JetBlue only launched flights to Amsterdam from its hubs at Recent York (JFK) and Boston (BOS) earlier this yr, with services operating as per the next schedule:
Route |
Departure |
Arrival |
Block time |
Frequency |
JFK-AMS |
19:20 |
09:00 (+1 day) |
7 hr 40 min |
Every day |
AMS-JFK |
13:40 |
16:15 |
8 hr 35 min |
Every day |
BOS-AMS |
22:40 |
11:35 (+1 day) |
7 hr 5 min |
Every day |
AMS-BOS |
11:20 |
13:35 |
8 hr 15 min |
Every day |
Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock
Services are operated by the airline’s Airbus A321LR aircraft. Data from ch-aviation shows that JetBlue currently has nine A321LRs in its fleet, each with a maximum capability of 138 passengers in a two-class configuration – 24 in business class and 114 in economy class. As well as, the carrier has an extra nine A321LRs on order.
When it comes to competition on these routes, each KLM and Delta Air Lines also offer multiple day by day frequencies to Amsterdam from Recent York JFK and Boston.
Where might JetBlue send its Airbus A321LRs as a substitute?
If JetBlue is forced to chop its services to Amsterdam, where else might it deploy its Airbus A321LRs as a substitute? The airline could use the aircraft to bolster its existing transatlantic operation to London or Paris. But with slots at London Heathrow (LHR) almost unimaginable to come back by, the carrier would most certainly need to increase its flights to London Gatwick (LGW) as a substitute.
Photo: Lukas Wunderlich | Shutterstock
Alternatively, JetBlue could follow in United Airlines’ footsteps and launch flights to Spain or Portugal, tapping right into a growing market. Last yr, the Star Alliance member began flying to Malaga (AGP), Tenerife South (TFS), and Palma de Mallorca (PMI), with the routes seeing capability increases next yr. The carrier also plans to fly to Faro (FAO) in southern Portugal from May 2024, becoming only the second North American airline to accomplish that – Air Transat currently flies to Faro from Toronto (YYZ).
What do you think that of the proposals by the Dutch government to chop the variety of flights at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport? Share your thoughts by commenting below.