JetBlue is set to debut its Airbus A321neo on flights between Fort Lauderdale and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Points Guy reports that September 24th will be the date of the aircraft's first departure. The flight will depart at 09.58, on the same route as the airline's first-ever flight back on February 11th, 2000.

Launch set despite delays

Similarly, the New York-based company also confirmed one more route for its A321neo fleet. December 5th is set to see the launch of the service between Guayaquil in Ecuador to JFK. Jetblue joins other US-based carriers, Hawaiian Airlines, Frontier Airlines and American Airlines for in the application of the re-engined A321neo.

Airbus was recently hampered by production delays on the A320neo family line, with JetBlue stating that the postponement will reduce their 2020 growth plans. The airline estimates that just six models will be ready by the end of the year. It previously had to delay its remaining seven scheduled deliveries due to Airbus' issues.

Despite the delays, JetBlue are excited about the launch. A spokesperson spoke with Simple Flying about the venture ahead.

"We’re excited to introduce our first Airbus A321neo into the JetBlue fleet very soon. To celebrate the legacy of JetBlue’s founder, David Neeleman, tail number N2002J is named in his honor," the spokesperson said.

"The aircraft is nearing final certification and will go into scheduled service in September. We look forward to sharing details about our dedication plans, the aircraft’s planned routes and our all-new onboard customer experience in the weeks ahead."

The airline is set to have a busy 2020. Photo: Tomás de Coro via Flickr

New aircraft, new destinations

JetBlue is also planning to launch its first European routes with orders of the A321LR. The first routes will be daily to London from both New York and Boston. The A321LR aircraft on order from JetBlue will differ slightly from their A321neos.

This aircraft will have a brand new and improved Mint product. Along with this, it will likely have a new economy cabin on board. This could be more spacious for the long haul flights that this narrowbody will be used for.

JetBlue's Mint is the carrier's premium offering, which debuted in 2013. Mint is currently available to a selection of US internal flights between the West and the East Coasts. There are also some offerings to seasonal Caribbean routes. Europe is set to be next on the list from 2021.

JetBlue-tailfins
Despite delays and previous setbacks, JetBlue is intent on growth. Image: JetBlue

From loss to profit

Despite delays from Airbus, JetBlue posted great results for the second quarter of 2019. They announced operating profits of $250m compared to a loss of $152m in the same period last year. Pretax income was up 52% from the previous quarter, with an adjusted pre-tax margin of 11.3%. This is up 3.2 percentage points from last year. JetBlue’s Chief Executive Officer was confident of this growth on an earnings call last month.

“We believe our work is positioning us for success into the next decade. We are thrilled that we recently converted 13 additional A321s in our existing order book to A321 XLRs. We expect to begin our European service by adding London from Boston and New York starting in 2021.”

Altogether, with positive market figures and plans to grow their routes, JetBlue is set for a progressive decade ahead. Adding new aircraft on their domestic routes, as well as servicing new international destinations show the carrier's determination.