US airline JetBlue has posted a strong set of second quarter financial results – beating initial targets.
The carrier – which commenced services between Dublin and New York and Boston earlier this year – generated net profits of $25m for the quarter and operating revenue of $2.4bn.
The airline is now targeting incremental earnings (before interest and tax) of $800m-$900m from 2025 through 2027.
JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said: “We closed the first half of 2024 with meaningful year-over-year improvements in our operation and exceeded our second quarter guidance through strong execution, early evidence the changes we are implementing as part of our refocused strategy are yielding positive benefits.”
“Today, and as the year progresses, we are excited to share more details about JetForward, our strategic framework to return JetBlue to sustained profitability, and the four priority moves aimed at driving significant value over the coming years.
“These include boosting reliability and doubling down on our commitment to caring service to improve satisfaction and drive cost savings; reinvesting in building the best leisure network on the East Coast, where we are positioned to win; enhancing our existing product offerings and loyalty perks to better deliver the elevated and differentiated experiences our customers want; and keeping our costs low so that we can continue to offer customers exceptional value in the sky as we build a secure financial future for JetBlue.”
“In the second quarter, we continued to implement our JetForward strategy with the announcement of more significant network changes. We are actively reinvesting in our core geographies in New York, New England, Florida and Puerto Rico, while exiting routes and BlueCities that don’t meet our financial hurdle rate. As we progress through the second half of the year, we’ll be announcing additional initiatives designed to further enhance our customer value proposition, close the gap in our product offering to our peers and drive significant financial benefit,” said Marty St. George, JetBlue’s president.
Ursula Hurley, JetBlue’s chief financial officer, said: “We are setting ourselves on a path to restore our balance sheet health, and in support of securing our financial future, we are announcing an incremental aircraft deferral of approximately $3 billion of planned capital expenditures. Our focus going forward will be on driving value from our existing asset base and, ultimately, generating positive free cash flow.”
