JetBlue to close Newark flight attendant base this fall

JetBlue will close its flight attendant base at Newark Liberty International Airport and its technical operations bases at Newark and LaGuardia this fall. The airline said it will continue to operate flights to both airports after the closures. JetBlue said no employees will lose their jobs because of the base closures.

Affected workers will be able to bid for positions or transfer to other bases. The airline is ending seasonal service between Newark and Los Angeles and between Newark and Las Vegas. It said the schedule adjustments support growth at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

JetBlue is already the largest carrier at Fort Lauderdale. It announced plans to add more premium Mint service from the airport, including expanded flights to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The carrier also unveiled plans to launch 11 new destinations from Fort Lauderdale and expects to operate nearly 130 daily departures there this summer.

5 million passengers through John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2025, accounting for 23 percent of that airport’s total traffic. 4 percent of those airports’ passenger volumes.

JetBlue President Marty St. George said in March that the airline is much smaller at LaGuardia than four years ago because it is a $40 airport for the carrier. He added that people would rather have low fares than a really nice fountain, referring to the airport’s 25-foot water feature inside Terminal B.

LaGuardia underwent a roughly $8 billion overhaul. Public fee schedules show landing fees have climbed steadily in recent years, making the airport one of the most expensive in the region for airlines. JetBlue is headquartered in Long Island City and markets itself as New York’s Hometown Airline.