JetBlue Airways (New York) today announced that it will begin service on its recently announced Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Quito, Ecuador’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) route on February 25, 2016.
JetBlue will serve the route with its 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N663JB (msn 3287) arrives in Long Beach.
JetBlue aircraft slide show: 
JetBlue Airways (New York) today announced it will begin seasonal nonstop service between Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) this winter.
JetBlue will operate once daily round-trip service between the two cities seasonally from January 13, 2016 through Sunday, May 1, 2016.
JetBlue first began operating flights in Syracuse in 2001 and now serves eight airports across New York State with Albany set to become number nine in December. New Yorkers have long supported JetBlue as a leading carrier in the region and the airline continues to grow across the state.
This year JetBlue will operate up to 95 flights daily at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport which serves as one of JetBlue’s Florida gateways to the airline’s expanding network. Destinations from South Florida now include Bogota, Colombia and Lima, Peru. New destinations including Mexico City and Quito, Ecuador launch in the coming months.
Flight Schedule
FLL-SYR Flight #1738 SYR-FLL Flight #1737
11:30 a.m. – 2:33 p.m. 3:10 p.m. – 6:31 p.m.
JetBlue will serve the route with its Embraer 190 aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. JetBlue Airways Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N324JB (msn 19000388) in the Blueberries tail design taxies to the runway at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).
JetBlue aircraft slide show:
Dynamic International Airways (2nd) (Greensboro) will begin operating its new daily service between Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Caracas Simon Bolivar International Airport (CCS) on July 17, marking the airline’s first daily service to Venezuela from FLL and the only nonstop flight connecting Fort Lauderdale and Caracas.
Daily FLL-CCS Service Schedule (all times local):
2D 405
Departs FLL at 12:30 p.m.
Arrives at CCS at 3:15 p.m. same day
2D 406
Departs CCS at 6:20 p.m.
Arrives at FLL at 10:01 p.m.
The new flight from FLL will be the first of three planned routes to Venezuela. Announcements of Dynamic’s planned service from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Caracas (CCS) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Maracaibo La Chinita International Airport (MAR) will follow in coming weeks.
Dynamic will operate its service between Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Caracas with a Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft. The airline is retrofitting its aircraft interior to enhance the premium experience on international flights.
Dynamic also operates on the New York (JFK) – Georgetown route.
Copyright Photo: Fred Freketic/AirlinersGallery.com. Dynamic Airways (2nd) Boeing 767-336 ER N254MY (msn 25443) with Paraguay Airlines tail markings sits at New York’s JFK International Airport.
Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) has announced new nonstop jet service to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport from four cities across the nation beginning on October 2, 2015, including one city new to the Allegiant network.
New routes announced to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood include:
Portsmouth, New Hampshire – October 1, 2015
Akron-Canton, Ohio – October 2, 2015
Rochester, New York – October 9, 2015
Grand Rapids, Michigan – December 16, 2015 through April 2016
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 N872GA (msn 53295) taxies to the runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) painted in the old 2003 livery.
Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f_diburorQ&w=560&h=315%5D
Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has issued its 2014 One Report on the performance of the airline during 2014 including the integration of AirTran Airways:
On the heels of the airline’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders and announcement of expanded international service, Southwest Airlines® released its sixth annual, award-winning integrated report, found at southwestonereport.com. Southwest Airlines Chairman, President, and CEO Gary Kelly (above and below) shared his thoughts on the 2014 One Report and the carrier’s successful year on his LinkedIn Influencer page.
Kelly said, “I am immensely proud to say that 2014 will go down as one of the most monumental years in Southwest’s history, chock-full of major milestones and historic events—a banner year that we started planning for in 2010 when we laid out our five-year strategic plan. In short, 2014 was epic!
“It marks the end of one era and the dawn of another as the restrictions of the Wright Amendment were lifted*, allowing us to offer additional nonstop service from our home in Dallas. Of equal significance, we spread our wings into international territory and expanded our presence in markets that were once inaccessible to us, like New York City and Washington, D.C.
“We continued our commitment to efficient operations by signing an agreement to purchase low-carbon renewable jet fuel and remained on track with our fleet modernization efforts. I suppose it is only fitting that 2014 culminated with the completion of the AirTran Airways integration, which has been arguably the biggest project in our Company’s history.
“In celebration of all these exciting changes, we introduced a bold, new look with a new livery and logo (below).
The new look is centered around a heart, which serves as our foundation and symbolizes our commitment to remain true to our Core Values and low-fare philosophy as we seek to spread our Hospitality and Reliability to the rest of the world, because without a Heart, it’s just a machine. We accomplished all of this and more in 2014 while returning significant value to our Shareholders, surpassing our financial target of at least 15 percent pre-tax return on invested capital, excluding special items (ROIC); maintaining a job-secure environment for our People; spreading our Hospitality to our communities; and achieving our 42nd consecutive year of profitability—a record that is unmatched in the U.S. airline industry. Further, our common stock (LUV) was the top performer of the S&P 500. Indeed, 2014 was proof positive of our ongoing commitment to the triple bottom line.”
The carrier’s triple bottom line approach takes into account Southwest’s Performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the Planet. The 2014 One Report also features the major headlines of the year, including the launch of international service, the repeal of the Wright Amendment, the integration of AirTran Airways, the airline’s innovative LUVSeat upcycling Program, and the opening of a brand new LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver-certified Training and Operational Support facility in Dallas.
Key highlights that can be found in the 2014 One Report include:
PERFORMANCE:
Reported record net income of $1.1 billion
Recognized as the top stock performer of the S&P 500 with a 125 percent increase
Returned $1.1 billion to Shareholders through repurchases of $955 million of common stock (33 million shares) and payment of $139 million in dividends
Reduced long-term debt and capital lease obligations by $261 million, net of debt issuance Completed the integration of AirTran Airways, achieving net pre-tax synergies of approximately $500 million (excluding acquisition and integration expenses)
PEOPLE:
Transitioned AirTran Airways Employees into Southwest, creating one Family
Allocated the largest total dollar amount ever to the Company’s ProfitSharing Plan
Introduced a multi-year program, Heart of the Community, as part of Southwest’s community outreach in placemaking
In 2014, Southwest donated more than $20 million in corporate monetary, in-kind, and ticket donations to the communities the carrier serves
PLANET:
Reached 26 percent improvement in jet fuel efficiency on revenue ton miles per gallon basis compared with 2005
Decreased absolute greenhouse gas emissions for the second year in a row due to continued improvements in fuel efficiency
Continued renewable energy commitments for a total of more than 50 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy in 2013 and 2014
Ranked first among the four largest U.S. domestic passenger airlines and fourth overall for in-service fuel efficiency, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) report
Based on the Company’s outstanding year in 2014, the airline has again been named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens List for its commitment to Employees and the communities in which they work and live. Southwest Airlines was named in the top 25 and the only commercial airline to make Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s List, with especially high scores in the following categories:
Financial performance
Human rights
Philanthropy
Environmental activity
Climate change
Southwest’s strong performance in these categories underscores the airline’s commitment to a triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet.
To arrive at Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, the program audits and ranks Russell 1000 companies across seven corporate and social responsibility initiatives: environmental activity, climate change, human rights, employee relations, corporate governance, philanthropy and financial performance. Corporate Responsibility Magazine collects data on each company, including sending out an extensive questionnaire and asking companies to verify Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s initial report. Learn more about the methodology here.
* Restrictions still apply with respect to destinations beyond the 50 United States or District of Columbia.
Video above: CEO Gary Kelly introduces the 2014 One Report.
Copyright Photo below: Jacques Guillem Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-76N N7733B (msn 32678) taxies to the runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in the new 2014 livery.
Southwest Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery only):
JetBlue Airways (New York) has announced plans for two new routes that will grow its presence in the Baltimore-Washington and Philadelphia metropolitan areas and continue its expansion in its focus cities in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood.
Beginning November 12, JetBlue will operate new once daily service between Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) — the same day JetBlue launches previously announced service between Baltimore/Washington and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood. Within the National Capital Region, JetBlue also operates flights out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Beginning November 19, JetBlue will operate twice daily service between Philadelphia (PHL) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL). Philadelphia is one of the largest markets JetBlue currently does not serve from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and will play a part in its growth towards 100 daily flights to meet increasing customer demand in South Florida.
JetBlue will serve both routes with its Airbus A320 aircraft.
JetBlue’s Daily Schedule between Baltimore-Washington and Orlando as of November 12, 2015:
BWI – MCO MCO – BWI
11.20 a.m. – 1.56 p.m. 2.42 p.m. – 5.15 p.m.
JetBlue’s Daily Schedule between Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood as of November 19, 2015:
PHL – FLL FLL – PHL
7.30 a.m. – 10.09 a.m. 9.45 a.m. – 12.21 p.m.
1.05 p.m. – 3.50 p.m. 6.30 p.m. – 9.13 p.m.
JetBlue also announced plans to begin flying to Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport, one of the largest markets in the Americas. Mexico City will be JetBlue’s second destination in Mexico and its 35th in the Latin America and Caribbean region, where JetBlue continues to expand its presence as a leading U.S. airline.
Daily service to Mexico City International Airport (MEX) will launch on October 1 from JetBlue’s two focus cities in Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Service from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Orlando to Mexico City will operate in the evening, with flights back to the U.S. from Mexico City offered in the early morning.
JetBlue will serve both routes with its Airbus A320 aircraft.
JetBlue continues to grow its footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean. The airline recently announced plans to serve Quito, Antigua, and Grenada, and to offer its successful Mint experience from New York to Aruba and Barbados on Saturdays between November 7, 2015 and April 30, 2016, and daily between December 19, 2015 and January 4, 2016.
Copyright Photo below: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N746JB (msn 3622) in the special New York Jets motif arrives at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:
The growing route map from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport:
JetBlue Airways (New York) and Silver Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) have announced a codeshare partnership that gives customers of both airlines access to new destinations, when connecting on a JetBlue flight. The majority of transfer opportunities will be in JetBlue’s focus cities Orlando (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL). Later this year, the partnership will expand to include 13 Silver Airways routes from Florida to The Bahamas, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals.
Under the agreement, customers will enjoy booking a single ticket and seamless baggage transfers when flying on a JetBlue codeshare flight operated by Silver Airways, and members of JetBlue’s frequent flyer program, TrueBlue, will earn points on all codeshare flights. Flights are now available for purchase on JetBlue.com in select markets.
The JetBlue ‘B6’ designator code will initially be placed on 14 Silver Airways routes, helping JetBlue customers get to destinations across Florida on one itinerary including:
Gainesville (GNV) – Orlando
Key West (EYW) – Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
Key West – Orlando
Key West – Fort Myers (RSW)
Key West – Tampa (TPA)
Orlando – Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
Orlando – Fort Myers
Pensacola (PNS) – Orlando
Pensacola – Tampa
Tallahassee (TLH) – Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
Tallahassee – Orlando
Tallahassee – Tampa
Tampa – Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
Tampa – Jacksonville (JAX)
The agreement gives customers the opportunity to connect from seven airports across Florida to JetBlue’s continuously growing network in both Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Orlando, reaching final destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
JetBlue is the largest airline from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, with more than 70 daily flights to 36 cities in 10 countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Mexico and Peru.
The two airlines have successfully cooperated on an interline basis since 2013. This marks JetBlue’s thirteenth announced codeshare agreement.
In other news, JetBlue Airways has announced its new twice-daily service to Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) will launch November 12. This will be JetBlue’s second destination from Baltimore/Washington, having launched its nonstop service to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in 2009.
Baltimore/Washington is one of several new destinations JetBlue will launch from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood this year. On April 30, the airline will launch nonstop routes to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). With these additional routes, JetBlue will serve 36 cities across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America on a nonstop basis from its South Florida focus city.
Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N766JB (msn 3724) in the Tartan tail scheme arrives at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:
Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood), as we have been reporting, is growing fast and adding new routes. As a result, the airline intends to hire 1,500 new employees this year according to this article by the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale.
Read the interview with Paul Berry, Spirit’s new director of corporate communications: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Jacques Guillem Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 N534NK (msn 3395) prepares to land at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
Spirit Airlines aircraft slide show:
Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) continues to make money under its ultra low-fare strategy. For the fourth quarter (up 43%) and the full year (up 33%), profits soar. The airline issued this statement:
Spirit Airlines, Inc.reported fourth quarter and full year 2014 financial results.
Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter 2014 increased 43.2 percent to $58.7 million ($0.80 per diluted share) compared to the fourth quarter 20131. GAAP net income for the fourth quarter 2014 increased 29.4 percent year over year to $55.9 million ($0.76 per diluted share).
Adjusted net income for the full year 2014 increased 33.3 percent year over year to $236.7 million ($3.23 per diluted share). GAAP net income for the full year 2014 increased 27.4 percent year over year to $225.5 million ($3.08 per diluted share).
Adjusted pre-tax margin for the fourth quarter 2014 was 19.7 percent, up 4.3 percentage points year over year. For the full year 2014, adjusted pre-tax margin was 19.2 percent, up 2.1 percentage points compared to 20131. On a GAAP basis, pre-tax margin for the fourth quarter 2014 was 18.8 percent and for the full year 2014 was 18.3 percent.
Spirit ended 2014 with an unrestricted cash and cash equivalents balance of $632.8 million.
Spirit’s return on invested capital (before taxes and excluding special items) for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 was 30.1 percent.
Revenue Performance
For the fourth quarter 2014, Spirit’s total operating revenue was $474.5 million, an increase of 13.0 percent compared to the fourth quarter 2013, driven by an increase in flight volume.
Total revenue per available seat mile (“RASM”) for the fourth quarter 2014 decreased 5.1 percent compared to the fourth quarter 2013 on a capacity increase of 18.9 percent. The decrease was driven by a mix of lower passenger yields and a 1.4 point decline in load factor.
Total revenue per passenger flight segment (“PFS”) for the fourth quarter 2014 decreased 3.7 percent year over year to $127.91, driven by a 6.1 percent decrease in ticket revenue per PFS and a 0.3 percent decrease in non-ticket revenue per PFS. During the fourth quarter, the Company transitioned its onboard catering to a third-party provider under a revenue share agreement. As a result of this change, in the fourth quarter 2014, the Company recorded lower non-ticket revenue and correspondingly lower costs than it would have otherwise.
Cost Performance
Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter 2014, excluding $4.5 million of special items3, increased 6.9 percent to $380.0 million. Including special items, total operating expenses increased 9.3 percent year over year to $384.5 million.
Spirit reported fourth quarter 2014 cost per available seat mile (ASM) excluding special items and fuel (“Adjusted CASM ex-fuel”)3 of 5.61 cents, a decrease of 2.9 percent compared to the same period last year driven in part by lower distribution expense, maintenance expense, and aircraft rent per ASM. Distribution expense per ASM in the fourth quarter 2014 was lower compared to the same period last year primarily due to a one-time litigation settlement gain of approximately $2.9 million and a larger percentage of tickets being booked directly through spirit.com, the Company’s lowest cost distribution channel. The decrease in maintenance expense per ASM year over year was driven by an expense reversal in the fourth quarter 2014 associated with an insurance claim, along with a one-time $750,000 insurance deductible expense in the fourth quarter 2013. The decrease in aircraft rent per ASM was driven by a change in the mix of leased (rent recorded under aircraft rent) and purchased (amortization recorded under depreciation and amortization) aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. In the fourth quarter 2014, Spirit took delivery of seven new Airbus A320 aircraft, ending the year with 65 aircraft in its fleet. In addition, during 2014, the low fare carrier went to this highly visible “Home of the Bare Fare’ canary yellow color scheme. Airbus A319-132 N502NK (msn 2433) lands at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport base which now enjoys two parallel jet runways.
Spirit Airlines aircraft slide show:
Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) will add the Chicago (O’Hare)-Atlantic City daily route on April 16 per Airline Route.
Copyright Photo: Jacques Guillem Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 N534NK (msn 3395) prepares to depart from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Spirit Airlines aircraft slide show: