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JetBlue Reduces Service At Portland Jetport To Summer-Only

Susan Walsh
/
Associated Press
A plane flies past the American flag in Washington, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018.

Beginning in early January, low-cost air carrier JetBlue will end its year-round service to Portland and only offer flights to New York’s JFK during the summer season.

Portland Jetport Assistant Airport Director Zach Sundquist says Delta Airlines will continue to serve JFK through the winter. He says JetBlue wants to improve on-time reliability and profitability across its network.

“I think as many Maine travelers know, especially during the winter when a nor’easter goes through New York on Day One and then is over Portland Day Two, that’s two complete days of flying that’s not being completed,” he says. “A lot of factors went into the decision, but certainly the weather, the seasonality of the market and just what their overall goals are for network reliability and being able to get passengers on time to their destination.”

Sundquist says passengers who have already booked JetBlue flights for after Jan. 7, will be contacted by the airline to coordinate rebooking or refunding. He says Portland isn’t the only airport losing service — JetBlue is leaving a few altogether, including Daytona Beach and Washington-Dulles.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.