JetBlue wants to suspend service at 16 airports, including Tampa; other airlines request to halt services
TAMPA, Fla. - This week, JetBlue, Delta and Spirit Airlines have asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to suspend services to certain airports, where they have been a significant drop in the number of passengers.
On Tuesday, Delta requested to suspend flights from nine airports due to the decrease in demand. On the same day, JetBlue made same request for 16 airports, including the Tampa International Airport.
Just the day before, Spirit Airlines asked to halt flights to 26 cities.
It's unclear how the U.S. DOT will respond, as airlines are required to maintain minimum service levels through September 30 after taking loans and grants provided to airlines through the CARES Act.
According to its request for exemption, Delta is asking the agency to suspend flights out of the following cities. They provided alternative airports that are about an hour's drive:
- Hilton Head, SC: 43 miles from Savannah, GA
- Lansing, MI: 54 miles from Grand Rapids, MI
- Pocatello, ID: 56 miles from Idaho Falls, ID
- Peoria, IL: 49 miles from Bloomington/ Normal, IL
- Kalamazoo, MI: 58 miles from Grand Rapids, MI
- Brunswick, GA: 62 miles from Jacksonville, FL 62
- Worcester, MA: 54 miles from Boston, MA
- Melbourne, FL: 61 miles from Orlando, FL
- Flint, MI: 74 miles from Detroit, MI
JetBlue is requesting to suspend flights to the following 16 airports through September 30. To support their argument, the company also said that certain flights from Boston to Minneapolis had only two passengers:
- Atlanta: Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport
- Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Detroit Metro Airport
- Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport
- Las Vegas: George Bush Intercontinental Airport
- Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport
- Nashville International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor IAirport
- Portland (Oregon) International Airport
- San Diego International Airport
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
- Tampa International Airport
Spirit submitted a request for exemptions from continuing services from:
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
According to USA Today, DOT officials rejected previous exemption requests from JetBlue and Spirit.