A JetBlue Airlines plane lands near the air traffic control tower at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport October 7, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
JetBlue Airways told CNBC on Wednesday that it would close its flight attendant base at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and its technology operating bases there and at LaGuardia Airport in New York this fall in an effort to cut costs and bolster service in Florida, although it noted that no staff members will lose their jobs.
He said personnel could apply or transfer to other bases.
“JetBlue is making targeted schedule adjustments, ending seasonal service between Newark (EWR) and Los Angeles (LAX) and Las Vegas (LAS), to support growth at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport,” the airline said in a statement.
This comes as JetBlue announced earlier Wednesday that it would expand daily flights across the country with its flatbed business class, Mint, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to San Diego on Nov. 19 and add more Mint-equipped flights this winter to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
JetBlue has spent years cutting unprofitable routes and costs to return to stable profitability.
Its last profitable quarter was two years ago, and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport push is an important part of its strategy, JetBlue President Marty St. George told CNBC earlier this month. The airline is also looking for space for a high-end airport lounge, he said.
The airline is already the top carrier in Fort Lauderdale, although it was previously second to Spirit Airlines, the South Florida-based discounter that collapsed on May 2.
JetBlue executives have decried the high costs of operating at airports like LaGuardia.
“We’re much, much smaller at LaGuardia than we were four years ago because it’s a $40 price point. [enplanement fee] airport for us. And the fountain is really pretty, but…I think people would rather have low fares than a really nice fountain,” St. George said at a JPMorgan industry conference in March, referring to the 25-foot-tall water feature in the airport’s Terminal B.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates LaGuardia and Newark airports, had no immediate comment.