April 20, 2021 / JetBlue Airways (B6) got official clearance from the CAA to start flights to the United Kingdom: “The UK Civil Aviation Authority can confirm that it has today provided regulatory approval to the US-based airline, JetBlue, which will enable the airline to operate transatlantic routes between London, New York and Boston. This approval marks the first scheduled foreign carrier permit that has been issued to a new operator since the UK’s exit from the European Union. All non-UK air carriers that wish to undertake commercial services to, from or within the United Kingdom are required to hold a Foreign Carrier Permit before any flight is undertaken” said the CAA in an official note on April 19, 2021.

JetBlue has been planning the start of long-haul flights since 2019, but the Covid pandemic caused operations, initially planned for 2020, to shift to later this year. The New York-based airline obtained slots at both London major gateways, Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) for flights from its hubs at JFK and Boston (BOS). The Heathrow website indicates August 2, 2021 as the day flights from JFK are set to start, but JetBlue did not confirm, as it hasn’t yet made any official announcement regarding the schedule of its transatlantic operations. The reason for this are the travel limitations and bans still imposed in the UK and the uncertainty regarding their uplift.

What JetBlue did, in the meantime, has been to showcase the game-changing product it will offer onboard the Airbus A321LR which will ply the routes. In Business Class, 24 individual suites, including two ‘studios’ will be offered in a unique 1+1 layout. In Economy Class, passengers will have the possibility to personalize their meals and will enjoy free wi-fi for the entire duration of the flight.

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