JetBlue gets slots at London Stansted and Gatwick, but misses out on Heathrow

JetBlue has managed to get hold of slots at London’s Gatwick and Stansted airports but failed to get slots at the main London airport, Heathrow, as reported by Routes Online this Wednesday.

These slots will allow the US carrier to start transatlantic flights from Boston to Stansted and from New York JFK to Gatwick with its new Airbus A321LR aircraft from the third quarter of 2021.

At Gatwick, JetBlue was allocated 14 of the 28 requested slots, good for one daily return trip from the US. At Stansted, JetBlue took possession of all 28 requested slots (two daily returns). Initially, the airline requested 42 slots at Heathrow, which was refused by Airport Coordination Limited International, which oversees slot coordination at the three London airports.

In June 2019, JetBlue ordered thirteen Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the long-range version of the A321neo, in order to operate trans-Atlantic flights from 2023. Earlier, it ordered 25 A321neos, part of which were to be converted in A321LR that will be delivered in 2021.

On Tuesday IATA announced that JetBlue will be the host of its next annual meeting in Boston at the end of June 2021.