JetBlue Shuts Newark, LaGuardia Operations Bases as Florida Expansion Accelerates🤯
JetBlue is closing several operations bases at Newark and LaGuardia airports this fall as it shifts resources to South Florida in an effort to improve profitability.
The airline will continue serving both airports but will shut its flight attendant base at Newark and its technical operations bases at Newark and LaGuardia. JetBlue said no employees will lose their jobs, and affected workers will be able to transfer or bid for other positions.
As part of the move, JetBlue is ending seasonal service between Newark and Los Angeles and Las Vegas to support growth at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The decision reflects JetBlue’s continued pullback in the New York-New Jersey market as it trims underperforming routes and grapples with rising costs, particularly at LaGuardia. In March, JetBlue President Marty St. George said the airline had become “much, much smaller” at LaGuardia because of high per-passenger fees, adding that travelers would likely prefer lower fares over amenities such as Terminal B’s 25-foot fountain.
Landing fees at LaGuardia have risen steadily since the airport’s roughly $8 billion redevelopment, making it one of the region’s most expensive airports for airlines.
Despite the cuts, JetBlue remains headquartered in Long Island City and says the New York metro area is still its largest market, with 118 nonstop routes and a 13% seat share across JFK, Newark, LaGuardia, Westchester County Airport, and Long Island MacArthur Airport.
In 2025, JetBlue carried about 14.5 million passengers through JFK, compared with 1.9 million through Newark and 1.1 million through LaGuardia.
The airline’s focus on Florida has intensified since Spirit Airlines ceased operations on May 2. JetBlue, already Fort Lauderdale’s largest carrier, recently expanded Mint service and announced 11 new destinations from the airport, where it expects nearly 130 daily departures this summer, its largest schedule there ever.
