Airlines move to take over JetBlue slots at Long Beach Airport
The City of Long Beach recently announced that JetBlue was giving up almost one-third of its slots at Long Beach Airport, and other carriers are already vying to take over the vacant times.
According to Patrick H. West, the city manager, the carrier's departure generated a lot of interest from other airlines, in particular Southwest, Delta Air, and Hawaiian airlines. They are already competing for ten former JetBlue slots, three of which are supplemental, and seven of which are permanent. JetBlue pulled out after the city threatened to penalize it for low usage.
JetBlue gave up slots that the city termed “underutilized.” The airport had been reallocating these slots to other airlines every month through last September.
The airlines have been placed on a wait list, according to West, adding Long Beach will distribute the slots one at a time, going down the list. The current order of airlines on the list for the permanent slots is Hawaiian, Delta Air, and Southwest. The order for the airlines for the supplemental slots is Delta Air, Southwest, and Hawaiian. Carriers in situations like this can use brochure printing to advertise new routes.
An airline that takes any of the now-open slots has to meet the new usage rates set by Long Beach. Previously, carriers were required to maintain a use rate of 57% for any period of 180 days. After last November, the figure was raised to 70% in any one quarter, or 85% for an entire year.
According to Patrick H. West, the city manager, the carrier's departure generated a lot of interest from other airlines, in particular Southwest, Delta Air, and Hawaiian airlines. They are already competing for ten former JetBlue slots, three of which are supplemental, and seven of which are permanent. JetBlue pulled out after the city threatened to penalize it for low usage.
JetBlue gave up slots that the city termed “underutilized.” The airport had been reallocating these slots to other airlines every month through last September.
The airlines have been placed on a wait list, according to West, adding Long Beach will distribute the slots one at a time, going down the list. The current order of airlines on the list for the permanent slots is Hawaiian, Delta Air, and Southwest. The order for the airlines for the supplemental slots is Delta Air, Southwest, and Hawaiian. Carriers in situations like this can use brochure printing to advertise new routes.
An airline that takes any of the now-open slots has to meet the new usage rates set by Long Beach. Previously, carriers were required to maintain a use rate of 57% for any period of 180 days. After last November, the figure was raised to 70% in any one quarter, or 85% for an entire year.