JetBlue is getting ready to dispatch its first passenger flight from New York bound for the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. JetBlue flight seven will mark the start of an era as the US hybrid carrier expands its network to begin intercontinental flights.

The day has finally come. We've been patiently waiting for JetBlue's London debut since transatlantic services were first touted over a year ago. Having received firm details of the airline's plans in May, it's now time to press go on a new era. Although, it is possibly not quite the launch JetBlue had hoped for given the ongoing transatlantic travel restrictions.

The first of many flights

As the pandemic recovery intensifies, more and more new routes are being launched across the world. Today JetBlue flight seven will depart from New York's JFK Airport at around 21:48. Unlike most flights, the aircraft won't turn to the south or west to a destination in the Americas. Instead, it will turn east and head out over the Atlantic Ocean.

The aircraft is due to fly 5,541km (3,443 miles) across the ocean for seven hours and 22 minutes, with a planned London Heathrow arrival of 10:10. While it won't see the sights, the aircraft will spend the day in London before departing at 18:10 for its return flight. The jet is due to arrive in New York at 21:43 the day after it leaves, meaning that an entire rotation is scheduled to be five minutes shorter than 24 hours.

Expanding to other London airports

According to schedule information from Cirium, the flight is down to operate daily for the remainder of August. It will drop down to every other day as the schedule currently stands in September, while a second route to London Gatwick is set to launch on September 29th. From October onwards, both routes are presently assigned to have a daily frequency.

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What to expect onboard

The airline will use its Airbus A321LR neo jets for transatlantic flights. These aircraft are equipped with the Airspace by Airbus cabin, of which JetBlue was the launch customer. Passengers should expect,

• More comfortable seats, including the middle seat.
• Bespoke "build-your-own tray" meals prepared to order
• Complimentary WiFi throughout the cabin.

The front of the cabin will feature lie-flat business suites in a 1-1 configuration. Meanwhile, the economy cabin will be in the standard narrowbody 3-3 configuration.

So far, JetBlue has only taken delivery of two A321LR aircraft from an order of 15, according to data from ch-aviation.com. N4022J was the first to arrive at JetBlue, being delivered to the airline at the end of April. It is 0.71 years old, having taken its first flight in November 2020. According to data from FlightRadar24.com, this is the plane expected to operate the inaugural flight.

The other A321neo was delivered in late May. Registered as N2102J, the plane is 0.47 years old, having taken its first flight in February.

Are you excited to see JetBlue finally launching flights between New York and London? Let us know what you think and why in the comments down below!