JetBlue Airways lost access to the airport Schiphol from Amsterdam next summer after the Dutch government reduced capacity at the European hub, limiting takeoff and landing rights for all airlines.
The American airline began serving Amsterdam in August, putting it at a disadvantage compared to competitors with long-standing rights. She had previously announced that she would ask US authorities to bar Dutch airline KLM from John F. Kennedy International Airport in retaliation. JetBlue said in a statement Thursday that it will continue to work to maintain its presence in Amsterdam.
“We believe that the U.S. and Dutch governments have an obligation under our historic Open Skies Agreement to ensure that JetBlue enjoys continued access to Amsterdam’s only viable airport.”, JetBlue said. The airline adds that its flights departing from new York and of Boston “have already demonstrated unique value to customers”.
As part of a reduction in noise pollution, slot coordinator Airport Coordination Netherlands (ACNL) warned this week that airlines, which do not have historical rights to Amsterdam-Schiphol airport, will not have no slots for summer 2024. And those with historic rights will receive 3.1% fewer slots than before, in order to respect the new limit of 452,500 flights per year at Amsterdam-Schiphol, almost 10% less than in 2019.
JetBlue was one of 24 new entrants deprived of takeoff and landing rights. In retaliation, she asked the American authorities to ban KLM from access to New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport. JetBlue is currently in the midst of a massive expansion in a bid to challenge the three major established U.S. carriers. The airline is still trying to finalize the purchase of Spirit Airlines, which is also under scrutiny from the U.S. government. Being deported to Schiphol constitutes a huge setback for it. The elimination of 3.1% of flights at Schiphol means that the Dutch subsidiary ofAir France-KLM will lose its rights to 5,700 flights in 2024 during the summer season which has just ended, including for low cost Transavia. Delta Air LinesAir France-KLM’s transatlantic partner, has been asked to cut 252 takeoffs and landings and EasyJet will lose 693.
