The end is near for the smallest aircraft in JetBlue’s fleet — which has certainly seen better days.
The New York-based carrier now plans to phase out the final two dozen or so Embraer E190 jets in its fleet by the end of 2025, executives confirmed Tuesday.
The news comes despite revelations that JetBlue may actually be leaning More Heavy on the rest of its existing fleet. The carrier detailed plans on Tuesday to delay delivery timelines for dozens of new jets amid pressure to return the company to profitability for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free bi-weekly aviation newsletter.
JetBlue’s E190s proceeded to exit
The E190 is easily the smallest aircraft in JetBlue’s fleet, carrying 100 passengers in a two-by-two configuration – about 30% smaller than capacity. The Airbus A220 usually replaces the fleet.
JetBlue still has 22 E190s today, Chief Financial Officer Ursula Hurley said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday.
The carrier plans to retire six of those jets by the end of 2024 and the remaining 15 by the end of 2025, Hurley said.
Sure, these jets have advantages — at least in the main cabin — over similar planes operated by the regional fleets of the “Big Three” legacy airlines. Even these smaller E190s on JetBlue have seatback screens, live television and free Wi-Fi that are staples of the airline’s brand.
But the aircraft (and its seatback screens, for that matter) are showing their age these days.
Daily newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily Newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for the latest news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
Related: JetBlue TrueBlue Program: Earn and redeem points, transfer partners and more
TPG flew the aircraft as part of a 2021 search to find the “worst airline seats in America,” though it generally gets better reviews than some of its counterparts.
JetBlue otherwise focuses on existing fleets
Even as JetBlue says goodbye to its E190 fleet, the carrier is putting the brakes on the new jet.
The airline announced a major shift on Tuesday, revealing an agreement with Airbus to extend deliveries of 44 A321neo aircraft beyond 2030 – postponing nearly $3 billion in costs.
The airline has struggled in recent years with subpar financial performance and prolonged maintenance (engine problems at Pratt & Whitney have affected numerous A320neo family aircraft) have complicated the carrier’s future plans.
JetBlue expects an average of 11 aircraft to be grounded at any given time in 2024 – a number that will increase in 2025 and impact the airline (and other carriers) in the years ahead.
“At this point, we cannot afford to continue to take delivery of expensive new aircraft that may need to be parked due to engine availability issues,” Hurley said Tuesday.
Pushing back those new aircraft deliveries would require changes to JetBlue’s plans, however, leaders acknowledged.
While not delaying the phase-out of its E190s, the carrier is planning to extend the life of a handful of A320 aircraft.
Types of JetBlue Aircraft
JetBlue leaders note that sunsetting the E190 will give the airline a lighter fleet of A220s and A320 family aircraft. Today, however, there is some variation on what you’ll find in its A320 family of aircraft, including:
- A321LR (long range) with Mint Suites and two Mint Studios.
- A321neo with Mint Suites
- A321neo with updated interior
- A321 Classic with Legacy Interior
- A321 Classic with Legacy Mint Seats
- A320 with updated interior
- A320 Classic with Legacy Interior
In any case, the A220 has a better interior and passenger experience than the outgoing E190s. It offers much more extra-legroom even more roomy seats; Also, compared to the E190, its improved fuel efficiency makes JetBlue a better option in terms of cost-to-operate.
Network shake-up mostly over
Despite the change in its aircraft plans, leaders said another major JetBlue shake-up is largely complete: its significant network changes.
Over four announcements since the spring, JetBlue has announced more than 50 route cuts and plans to exit 15 cities. Many changes – including some Just announced last week – will take effect in October.
But the big surprises seem almost done, CEO Joanna Geraghty told analysts.
“We may have some more modest ones coming, but you shouldn’t expect this level of network changes … to continue,” Geraghty said.
The future of the transatlantic
As part of its recent network changes, JetBlue has doubled down on its “bread and butter” East Coast leisure markets in New England, New York, Florida and Latin America.
It has shipped some of its mint-equipped aircraft out of Europe for the winter months in favor of warmer-weather destinations like Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). It’s a strategy that president Marty St. George chalked up only to seasonal shifts — not changes to JetBlue’s overall boom in Europe — in an exclusive interview with TPG last month.
Geraghty reiterated Tuesday that Europe is “an important part of the JetBlue market” and that the recent changes “are not a retreat by any means.” She acknowledged that the aircraft deferrals announced this week would “impact” its future transatlantic growth.
Related Reading: