JetBlue: Cork-US air route delay ‘a concern’

One of America’s largest airlines has warned that the ongoing delay sanctioning low-cost Cork-US flights could threaten its, and other US airlines’ growth plans.

New York-based low-cost carrier, JetBlue Airways, the fifth largest airline in the US, wrote to US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx last week, saying that “an unfavorable light” is being cast on the US commitment to the rule of law and the Open Skies agreement by the US authorities’ delay in making a final decision on Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) application to launch flights from Cork to Boston.

In a letter to Mr Foxx, submitted to the US Department of Transportation (DoT) process which is still seeking comments on NAI’s application, JetBlue executive James Hnat expressed concern that the continued delay could have negative repercussions for US airlines seeking to expand their route networks under the terms of the EU-US Open Skies agreement.