JetBlue expands Fort Lauderdale operations, hires former Spirit employees as service grows

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — JetBlue is expanding its footprint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, adding more flights, hiring former Spirit Airlines employees and positioning itself to capture travelers following Spirit’s exit from the market.

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Speaking from Fort Lauderdale, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said the airline had been preparing for the opportunity for months as Spirit faced financial challenges.

“Fort Lauderdale is a fantastic opportunity for us. We knew, as most of the public knew, that Spirit was not great. They filed for bankruptcy twice, so we’ve really been preparing for this day over the last months,” Geraghty said.

The airline is increasing its daily operations in Fort Lauderdale from about 130 flights to roughly 150 flights by the end of the year. As part of the expansion, JetBlue is hiring across multiple departments, including recruiting former Spirit crew members.

“JetBlue’s growing in the Fort Lauderdale area. We’re now at 130 flights. We’re going to be growing to about 150 by the end, so we are hiring across most of our workgroups and hiring Spirit crew members,” Geraghty said.

For many former Spirit customers, one of the biggest questions is whether JetBlue’s fares will be as inexpensive as the ultra-low-cost carrier’s. Geraghty said JetBlue remains committed to offering affordable travel but cannot promise Spirit-level pricing.

“We want fares to be affordable, but we want to make sure we offer a great product, too,” she said, noting that fuel and labor remain two of the airline’s largest expenses.

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Instead, Geraghty said JetBlue aims to provide added value through amenities included in its base fares, such as complimentary Wi-Fi, snacks, seatback televisions and additional legroom.

“We’re very mindful of the fact that we need to have affordable fares for flyers that maybe don’t want to purchase the higher or mid fares,” she said. “You get more free Wi-Fi, snacks, a little legroom (and) television.”

The airline is also expanding travel options for customers flying throughout the East Coast.

“For people who are flying up and down the East Coast, we will have 370 connecting opportunities to Fort Lauderdale,” Geraghty said.

As JetBlue continues its expansion, the airline hopes to attract both longtime customers and former Spirit flyers looking for new travel options through Fort Lauderdale.

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