JetBlue brings the boroughs to JFK with 40+ new concessions and redesigned communal spaces

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU), The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Fraport USA, manager of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 5, today announced a major refresh of the airline’s flagship terminal. The addition of more than 40 new concessions, and new amenities, including art installations and a redesigned center concourse inspired by New York’s iconic parks, will create a unique New York sense of place and an elevated customer experience. The first new concessions are expected to open throughout 2025, with the terminal improvements completed by the end of 2026.

JetBlue’s Terminal 5 improvements, which align with the Port Authority’s $19 billion overhaul of JFK Airport, will spotlight locally owned businesses, featuring beloved brands recognized by both New Yorkers and visitors worldwide. With more than 40 new concessions and customer experiences, including more than 18 new local food and beverage options, customers will have more options to enhance their time at JFK.

At the heart of Terminal 5, the center concourse will transform into a space inspired by the city’s famous parks. Lush greenery, park benches, concrete chess tables, and warm lighting provide city park charm for customers to relax before their next flight. The redesigned center concourse will also feature a dedicated space for pop-up experiences, interactive events, and live performances to highlight New York’s world-renowned culture.

Additionally, an art collection featuring more than 30 works by New York-based artists displayed throughout the terminal will transform Terminal 5 into a vibrant cultural destination. As a dynamic showcase of the city’s creativity, Terminal 5 will become a must-visit artistic experience of its own.

“When it opened, Terminal 5 set a new standard for customer-focused airport design that reflected our mission of bringing humanity back to air travel,” said Marty St. George, president of JetBlue. “Now, in support of the Port Authority’s plan to redevelop JFK, we look forward to further enhancing the experience for all who travel through this world-class terminal. This isn’t just about new dining and shopping—it’s about bringing the energy of New York into the terminal. From local flavors to spaces that capture the city we love, we’re making T5 more uniquely New York while staying unmistakably JetBlue.”

“We are proud to build upon our collaboration with JetBlue and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to reimagine and elevate JFK Terminal 5,” said Sabine Trenk, CEO of Fraport USA Inc. “Together, we share a bold vision of transforming the customer experience — delivering a world-class, dynamic retail and dining destination that captivates customers while driving economic growth and innovation.”

“JetBlue and Fraport’s commitment to delivering world-class amenities and concessions to our customers aligns with the Port Authority’s goal of transforming JFK into one of the world’s great global gateways,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Creating a uniquely New York sense of place at JFK through the additions of iconic local concessions, art and design will make this terminal a memorable part of the customer journey through our region.”

“JetBlue customers traveling through Terminal 5 will soon enjoy authentic products and dining experiences that represent the best of what our region has to offer,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “These improvements by JetBlue and Fraport USA embrace our vision of a world-class customer experience that will serve as the front door of this region to the rest of the world.”

“I am thrilled to see this transformative project take flight, creating good-paying jobs, empowering small businesses, and driving economic growth while establishing JFK Terminal 5 as a state-of-the-art, world-class gateway,” said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks. “In addition to bringing the vibrant spirit of New York to the terminal, this project will uplift local communities by ensuring New Yorkers have a direct stake in its success and lasting impact through construction, business partnerships, and over 40 new concessions.”

“The historic $19 billion redevelopment of Kennedy Airport continues to pay incredible dividends for Queens families. A refreshed Terminal 5 will not only give travelers a fantastic first impression of The World’s Borough, it will create good-paying jobs for Queens residents and concession opportunities for our small businesses,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I’m deeply grateful to JetBlue, Queens’ hometown airline, for its investment in our borough and to all our partners for their commitment to the overall reimagining of Kennedy Airport.”

SAS and Alpine World Cup Åre 2025 have partnered to make travel to the event more sustainable. As part of this, SAS will provide Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for 500 athletes and team members traveling to the event, taking place on March 8-9, 2025.

Together, SAS and Alpine World Cup Åre are taking meaningful steps toward a more conscious and responsible approach to travel for global sporting events. To decrease the carbon footprint, SAS will add SAF for 500 athletes and team members, significantly lowering the emissions. Using SAF can help reduce life cycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel, with the exact reduction depending on the fuel’s composition and production process.

“At SAS, we are proud to support Alpine World Cup Åre and, through this collaboration, contribute to reducing the climate impact of air travel. SAF is a key element in our strategy to drive aviation toward a more sustainable future. Achieving this requires collective action and we hope to inspire others in the sports and events industry – and beyond – to make responsible choices,” says Erik Westman, Chief Revenue Officer at SAS.

For large-scale events, air travel is often the primary means of transportation for participants, and as such, it plays a substantial role in the overall climate impact.

“We recognize that air travel is an integral part of international sports, and we are committed to making travel to Alpine World Cup Åre as sustainable as possible. Through our partnership with SAS, we aim to take responsibility and inspire other stakeholders in the sports world to make conscious travel choices,” says Olle Danielsson, CEO of Alpine World Cup Åre.

Transforming the aviation industry demands a joint effort from airlines, policymakers, authorities, corporations, and travelers. Every contribution matters. When booking a flight with SAS, passengers have the option to include SAF – a growing choice in the transition to more sustainable air travel.

SAS and Alpine World Cup Åre view this partnership as a key step in promoting conscious travel solutions at international sporting events. By highlighting the potential of SAF to reduce the climate impact of global travel, they aim to set a precedent for more environmentally responsible event transportation.

JetBlue, in partnership with Nintendo, today introduced an Airbus A320 livery design named Cloudtop Cruiser (tailfin number N561JB) featuring Mario and friends—Princess Peach, Luigi, Bowser, Donkey Kong and Yoshi.

With a bright, colorful design, this sky-high tribute to Nintendo’s beloved characters is sure to bring ‘Super Star’ smiles to customers’ faces. The fun doesn’t stop there—customers will be greeted by Mario and friends on the welcome screen of their seatback entertainment touchscreens. From the outside to the inside of the aircraft, the Cloudtop Cruiser is designed to make every trip feel like an adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom.

JetBlue has long designed special liveries to honor the people, places, and partnerships that make up its DNA. Now, the airline is welcoming Nintendo into its fleet. At JetBlue, fun is a key value and part of the travel experience as the airline brings more “Let’s-a go!” energy to customers and crewmembers.

As reflected in this partnership, JetBlue is committed to making every flight comfortable for families with travelers of all ages. From dietary-inclusive snacks and drinks to inflight entertainment featuring the newest animated and kid-friendly movies, TV shows, and interactive games, JetBlue ensures that even the youngest travelers can stay entertained from takeoff to landing.

Last year, JetBlue and Nintendo leveled up the travel experience at John F. Kennedy Airport’s Terminal 5 with a “Nintendo Switch On the Go” pop-up and a Mario meet-and-greet. The partnership will continue to bring surprise and delight moments with special activations throughout the year.

When soaring through the skies like Mario in his many adventures (through different worlds and galaxies), JetBlue’s Cloudtop Cruiser is ready to take customers on an unforgettable flight. To learn more about JetBlue’s special liveries, visit jetblue.com/flying-with-us/our-planes/special-liveries

Royal Air Maroc now offers three direct flights per week between Casablanca, (CMN) and Beijing (PKX), starting 20th January 2025. The new service, utilizing Boeing 787-9 aircraft, adds 30 tons of weekly cargo uplift each way between China and Morocco. It also opens up a pioneering China-Morocco-Brazil link, establishing Morocco’s Casablanca as a global cargo hub.
With its first flight from Casablanca (CMN), Morocco, to Beijing’s Daxing International Airport (PKX), on 20th January 2025, Africa’s leading cargo airline, Royal Air Maroc Cargo, has reinstated an essential Sino-Moroccan trade link. On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, a Boeing 787-9 will link the two cities, offering a weekly cargo uplift of approximately 30 tons each way. The three return flights to Casablanca will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. These scheduled, direct flights in both directions will ensure fast transit times for cargo customers, offer complete tracking transparency, and enable them to plan long term transport solutions.

“For many centuries, Morocco’s geographical location has rendered it the perfect gateway for shipping trade to Africa and Europe,” says Mr. Yassine Berrada, VP Cargo at Royal Air Maroc. “At Royal Air Maroc, we are proud to go even further, building Casablanca up as a true air bridge between Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our newly launched, thrice-weekly service out of China’s largest airport, not only provides a highly efficient service for Chinese goods destined for Africa, but also offers a direct onward connection to Brazil, thanks to our recently commenced Sao Paolo (GRU) route.”

Royal Air Maroc enjoyed a successful business relationship with the Chinese market prior to the pandemic, with regular flights to Beijing. “Reinstating Chinese services was an obvious and natural decision as goods exchange is important,” Mr. Yassine Berrada explains. “We chose China’s largest airport in Beijing as our starting point, since demand is strongest here both in terms of passenger and cargo. In the future, we plan to expand connections to other major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou.”

Cargo demand into Beijing is strong given the growing Chinese interest in the vast array of African exports ranging from integrated circuits, electrical control panels and conductors, transistors, mineral and metallic products, copper products, zinc ore, copper-zinc alloy, copper anodes for electrolytic refining, silver ore, lead ore, copper scrap, aluminum alloy, and manganese ore, to textiles, accessories, leather goods, garments, fish oil, frozen fruits and vegetables, and agricultural products.

In China, Royal Air Maroc is competently represented by Globe Air Cargo China, a subsidiary of ECS Group. The GSSA will be filling inbound Moroccan flights with Chinese goods such as: electricals, electronic equipment, furniture, lighting signs, prefabricated buildings, iron/steel goods, knitted or crocheted fabrics, manmade filaments, toys, games, and sports equipment among other commodities. Many of these will enjoy direct onforwarding to Brazil via Morocco, on board Royal Air Maroc’s recently launched CMN-GRU flights. In addition, ECS Group will provide robust technological support using its proprietary solutions and enabling access to CargoTech’s comprehensive suite of digital tools. These advanced platforms, covering revenue management, e-booking, and capacity optimization, will enhance Royal Air Maroc’s operational efficiency, maximize its cargo potential and market reach through data-driven insights.

Adrien Thominet, Executive Chairman of ECS Group stated: “We are incredibly proud to support Royal Air Maroc in establishing this vital link between China and Morocco. Our dedicated teams at Globe Air Cargo China are committed to ensuring the success of this route by optimizing cargo flows and leveraging our advanced digital solutions. By combining our expertise with Royal Air Maroc’s ambitious vision, we are helping to build efficient and sustainable air freight solutions that drive economic growth and connectivity across continents.”

Riga – As the spring season begins, the Latvian airline airBaltic reveals that its most popular destinations from Riga this season are Amsterdam, Alicante, Barcelona, London, Vienna, Malaga, and Tivat. By analyzing booking trends, passenger demand, and seasonal travel preferences, the airline has identified a strong demand for sunny escapes and city getaways this spring, along with a growth in business travel to and from Latvia.

airBaltic offers up to three daily flights from Riga to Amsterdam, two weekly flights to Alicante, five weekly flights to Barcelona, up to two daily flights to London and Vienna, three weekly flights to Malaga, and two weekly flights to Tivat. These destinations are providing passengers with seamless connectivity and variety of travel options for leisure, business and onward connectivity needs.

The airline offers both Economy and Business Class on all its flights. Business Class passengers can enjoy a comprehensive full-service package, including priority check-in and boarding, a front-of-cabin seat with a free seat for added privacy, a gourmet meal perfectly paired with a curated selection of premium beverages, and quicker disembarking upon arrival. Throughout the flight, a dedicated Business Class cabin crew ensures exceptional service.

airBaltic is the first European airline to provide free SpaceX Starlink high-speed internet on its flights and plans to equip its entire Airbus A220-300 fleet with the service by the end of the year.

airBaltic operates more than 130 routes from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Tampere and, seasonally, Gran Canaria, offering connections to a wide range of destinations in the airline’s route network in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region. A complete schedule of airBaltic flights and tickets is available on the airline’s homepage at www.airbaltic.com.