JetBlue Announces New Routes between U.S. and Amsterdam, Promising Competition and Improved Service

The newest airline to announce intentions to connect New York City and Amsterdam is JetBlue. Later this summer, the airline will launch a new route between Boston Logan (BOS) and Amsterdam, followed by a service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JKF) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS).

JetBlue has finally received slots for its flights to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport after several months of talks. After beginning service from New York to London at Gatwick and Heathrow, followed by its impending service to Paris, Amsterdam will be JetBlue’s third transatlantic city.

The airline will operate its Airbus A321LR fleet, which has 138 seats and is heavily configured for premium passengers.

After Paris, which starts in June, Amsterdam has long been mentioned as JetBlue’s upcoming European destination. In September, JetBlue requested slots at Amsterdam Schiphol to begin operations for the summer of 2023, but the proposal was turned down.

The airline was given the slots last month after protesting about the airport’s anti-competitive and discriminatory practices, which prompted the US Department of Transportation to file a lawsuit against the Dutch government.

JetBlue felt there was room for it to enter the market after a recent judgement that the Dutch government broke the law when it tried to lower the annual cap on air traffic movements at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Only United Airlines, which operates out of Newark, offers any real direct competition to the Delta/KLM alliance on this route. Chief Executive Officer of JetBlue Robin Hayes highlighted their enthusiasm for upending the New York to Amsterdam market: “This route is long overdue for some competition. For too long the U.S. legacy carriers, backed by their joint ventures with other global airlines that enjoy immunity from antitrust laws, have locked customers in with very expensive fares and mediocre service.

“Just like we’re doing in London and Paris, we will bring fares down and improve the experience for customers flying between the U.S. and Amsterdam.”

Although the airline has not yet announced the exact date of its flight from Boston Logan to the Dutch capital, it did promise that seats would go on sale “in the coming weeks.”