JetBlue Airways will launch nonstop service from New York John F Kennedy to Guayaquil with the Airbus A321neo, the first of which it is taking delivery in May.
The route is the first made possible by the A321neo's increased range and fuel efficiency, says the New York-based carrier. "The new route will become the longest in the JetBlue network, stretching beyond today’s longest route by more than 200 nautical miles," says the airline, whose longest route is currently service between Boston and San Francisco.
JetBlue will begin daily service between New York and Guayaquil on 5 December, subject to government approval. The airline already serves Guayaquil from Fort Lauderdale, having added the Ecuadorian city to its network in February. JetBlue's move to link Guayaquil with New York JFK will end the monopoly of LATAM Airlines on the route, Cirium schedules data show. LATAM operates daily on the route with Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
"The introduction of the A321neo to our fleet opens up a world of new possibilities as we think about the future of our growing network, building out our focus cities, and offering new and unique nonstop routes to our customers," says Andrea Lusso, JetBlue's director of route planning.
The airline holds orders for 72 A321neos and 13 A321LRs, following a recent decision to convert some of its A321neo orders to the long-range variant to enable the launch of transatlantic service in 2021.
JetBlue is scheduled to take delivery of its first A321neo in May, followed by a second in June and a third in July, Cirium's Fleets Analyzer shows. It is scheduled to take delivery of eight A321neos this year, according to Fleets Analyzer.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
