JetBlue To Prioritize Airbus A220 Aircraft In ‘JetForward’ 5-Year Outlook

Jetblue is taking proactive steps to improve its overall balance sheet. Several considerations are being made, including prioritizing the arrival of an additional Airbus A220-300 and deferring the Airbus A321neo (including the XLR variant), outlined in a post by known Aviation Enthusiast @AirlineFlyer on X (Formerly Twitter).

The growing fleet of Airbus A220 is set to replace the Embraer E190, and the newer aircraft offers 90% more premium seating and 30% lower unit costs. The loyal E190 will be retired from the Jetblue fleet by the end of 2025, simplifying the airline’s fleet to just two aircraft families: the A220 and A320.

The airline’s challenges with grounding multiple aircraft due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines have also impacted the airline’s operations. Overall, an average of 11 aircraft have been grounded at any one time, and the same average number of grounded aircraft is expected to continue throughout the first half of 2025.

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Other steps taken

The New York-based airline is taking several other measures to ensure it can improve its bottom line, including the deferral of the A321neo, which includes the hotly anticipated A321XLR. This month, the carrier deferred 44 A321neo, expected between 2025 and 2029 to the 2030s, representing a saving of $3 billion in capital expenditure. As a result, 12 aircraft will have lease extensions, or purchase off lease to aid in maintaining it’s current networks, with plans to expand this a total of 30 aircraft within it’s fleet.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

Like many airlines worldwide, many are seeing a changing market as travelers grapple with a cost of living crisis, with rapid inflation driven by labor, maintenance, and fuel costs, where the airline has not seen revenue growth to match the same trajectory. The carrier’s time has been consumed by its recent focus on the Northeast alliance and its pursuit of acquiring Spirit. It has adjusted its primary focus to address product gaps and improve its marketing strategy.

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Expected aircraft deliveries and returns

Across the coming years, the below revisions of the airline fleet are expected (does not include purchase off lease):

2024

2025

2026 – 2028