JetBlue\u2019s big bet on Fort Lauderdale\u2019s airport and Broward County travelers less than six months ago is already paying off.<\/p>\n
Company executives praised FLL repeatedly in a call this week with investors, looking to portray a positive outlook and dispel doubts in the market over the company\u2019s financial health.<\/p>\n
While profit remained elusive, JetBlue posted double-digit revenue growth July through September, and showed optimism for the rest of this year and next despite surging fuel prices and uncertainty in the Middle East and Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was one of the company\u2019s two highlights in the third quarter, Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue\u2019s chief executive officer said during the meeting with investors.<\/p>\n
The Broward airport delivered \u201cstrong unit revenue performance even as we significantly advanced our operations,\u201d she said, meaning it brought in substantial cash even while the carrier was spending money and increasing services there.<\/p>\n
And that came despite \u201can unusually challenging summer operating environment,\u201d she said, citing not only surging fuel costs but weather conditions and traffic control issues in the northeast.<\/p>\n
JetBlue said it spent $868 million on fuel in the third quarter, 61% more than the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n
That hasn\u2019t grounded business at FLL.<\/p>\n
In Fort Lauderdale, \u201cwe\u2019ve seen continued acceleration in revenue growth throughout the year even as we\u2019ve significantly expanded our operations,\u201d JetBlue President Marty St. George said on the earnings call.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s expected to continue through the end of this year, he said.<\/p>\n
The growth in the number of seats in the fourth quarter will be \u201cconcentrated in Fort Lauderdale,\u201d St. George said. \u201cCapacity in the rest of the network is flat to down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overall, JetBlue\u2019s total operating revenue in the third quarter of 2026, from July to September, increased 21% to $2.8 billion when compared to the same period last year. The airline doesn\u2019t break down individual airports.<\/p>\n
JetBlue released its financials the evening of Oct. 26, one day early, to soothe concerns in the market. The airline\u2019s stock price had plummeted since August. On Oct. 26 at market close, it fell to $2.37 per share, a record low. One reason for that drop was a report in the Wall Street Journal on Oct. 23 that a group of JetBlue\u2019s senior creditors enlisted a financial firm and law firm to help the airline repay money it owes them.<\/p>\n
The announced earnings seemed to calm the markets for now. JetBlue\u2019s stock rose by over 9% in after-hours trading. On Oct. 27, after the investors\u2019 call, the company\u2019s stock jumped 18%.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday\u2019s call, executives strongly denied the company faced a cash crisis. The company ended the third quarter with $2.2 billion of cash, including a $600 million of approved credit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThough it was a messy quarter for them, they have excellent cash and liquidity moving forward,\u201d Joseph \u201cJoey\u201d Smith, director of aviation services at investment bank Cassel Salpeter and Co., told the Miami Herald.<\/p>\n
JetBlue does face challenges, and it has still not made a profit since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysts have previously told the Herald they worry the airline could face bankruptcy proceedings. And in the third quarter, the airline posted a net loss of $257 million, about 80% worse than the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n
Still, the key to turning things around may run through Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n
After Broward-based Spirit Airlines went under on May 2, JetBlue quickly looked to fill the void at FLL. Soon, the airline added 15 new destinations from FLL. Peak daily departures this winter planned to exceed 150, up 39% from this time last year.<\/p>\n
Through August, JetBlue provided FLL with 6.1 million passengers, nearly 40% over the same period in 2025, and more than double the second-place airline, Spirit.<\/p>\n
JetBlue is living up to its Broward plans.<\/p>\n
St. George told the Miami Herald in an interview in May at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood that JetBlue will make FLL a hub, meaning scheduling flights in a way that travelers can arrive there and have ample options to connect elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Today it has that hub up and running.<\/p>\n
\u201cFLL continues to demonstrate the strength of our network strategy,\u201d CEO Geraghty said on Tuesday\u2019s call.<\/p>\n
And in October, JetBlue expanded its pilot base at FLL. The base, where pilots start their day, now serves crews that fly Airbus A220 series planes. It previously only served those that fly the A320 series.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoubling down on FLL and some route cuts from minor markets will be helpful,\u201d Smith said. But \u201cthey should kill unprofitable smaller markets.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, large airports in the northeast have also taken a hit, at least in the short-term.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have shrunk pretty significantly in Boston, New York and Orlando temporarily, to fund Fort Lauderdale,\u201d St. George said Tuesday. \u201cWe love where this network is shaking out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next year, as aircraft deliveries come in, the airline will replenish those other airports, he said. The airline will reduce the growth rate in the number of flights at FLL, but the Broward airport will continue to be a hub.<\/p>\n
But travelers shouldn\u2019t assume the continued growth at FLL will necessarily lead to better deals for them on flights. JetBlue executives would like to see higher fares.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still in a situation where prices in 2026 are still lower than the real prices in 2019,\u201d St. George said. \u201cI will take credit for leading fare increases.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noted that in addition to fuel, the costs of landing fees, maintenance and layovers have shot up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still have not caught up to those increases,\u201d the executive said.<\/p>\n
St. George recalled that historically at JetBlue, the airline saw a pretty big drop-off in number of travelers from August to September when kids go back to school. So, this year, it expected a similar decline.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the results we saw in September in a pricing environment where we raised fares multiple times and significantly surprised us a lot,\u201d St. George said. \u201cThat gives us an incredible amount of optimism.\u201d<\/p>\n