• JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-200
    JetBlue
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    B6/JBA
    Hub(s):
    Boston Logan International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, New York JFK Airport, Orlando International Airport
    Year Founded:
    2000
    CEO:
    Robin Hayes
    Country:
    United States

The leadership of JetBlue's pilot team has voiced a lack of confidence in one of the airline's leading operational figures. Represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, otherwise known as ALPA, they voted unanimously to voice 'no confidence' in Alex Battaglia, who serves as the head of Airports and System Operations at JetBlue.

A damning vote

ALPA confirmed the result of the vote in a statement released yesterday. The union cites "months of disruptions at JetBlue" as a key factor in the motion, as well as "customer and pilot frustration at the operational turmoil." In particular, ALPA has noted that things have changed for the worse since Battaglia's appointment.

He took on the role of head of Airports and System Operations at JetBlue eight months ago, in August 2021. ALPA asserts that, at the time of the transition, the airline's management promised that both passengers and crew would benefit from Battaglia's presence in the role. However, things appear to have only worsened.

Indeed, ALPA cites JetBlue's last-place (9th) score in the Wall Street Journal's 2021 US airline rankings as a key measure of its lack of progress since Battaglia took on the role. It has also faced considerable operational disruption in the opening months of the year, although this has been the case for many US carriers.

US-flight-cancelations-continue-getty
JetBlue fell from 6th to 9th in the Wall Street Journal's rankings between 2019 and 2021. Photo: Getty Images

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What are the pilots saying?

Among the factors noted, pilots have reportedly complained of a lack of communication with their corresponding management teams. ALPA states that they are "are consistently unable to reach Crew Services in a timely manner for purposes of managing their schedules and responding to disruptions and irregular operations."

These difficulties have, in turn, "compounded and extended operational delays on countless occasions." This has left pilots unable to give customers the service that they are committed to. Captain Chris Kenney, JetBlue's ALPA Chair, states that:

"Every day, thousands of JetBlue pilots show up to work committed to providing the highest level of service to our customers. Instead, we are seeing operational disruptions at every level. Customers are having their flights canceled, while pilots are spending hours on hold with the Company just to find out if they have a bed to sleep in that night."

JetBlue Airways Airbus A220-300
JetBlue has cut some summer routes to reduce potential disruption. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

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How is JetBlue addressing the disruption?

JetBlue is one of several airlines to have faced extensive disruption in early-2022, with coronavirus and adverse weather combining to hamper operations on multiple occasions. However, in an effort to minimize this risk over the summer, it initially cut its schedule by around 10%, as reported by Simple Flying earlier this month.

Just yesterday, JetBlue removed another nine routes from its summer schedules. The airline has opted to cut two of these permanently, while suspending the other seven. It will be interesting to see whether these moves have the desired effect and what the future will hold for Battaglia after the vote. For now, Simple Flying has reached out to JetBlue for further information on the matter.

What do you make of this vote? Have you been on a disrupted JetBlue flight in recent months? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Source: Wall Street Journal