JetBlue sets date for new South America route
JetBlue Airways will land in the South American nation of Guyana next April as it continues to expand its network with the new Airbus A321neo.
The New York-based carrier will offer daily service between Guyana's capital Georgetown (GEO) and New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) from April 2, the company announced Tuesday.
Flights will be flown on JetBlue's new A321neo, which entered service Monday. The aircraft has 200 seats, including 42 Even More Space seats, and other onboard amenities like JetBlue Pantry.
Related: First look at JetBlue's Airbus A321neo on its commercial debut
JetBlue has faced delays with the A321neo. After postponing its first delivery by a year to 2019, it now faces the prospect of taking delivery of just six aircraft this year -- instead of 13 as planned -- due to Airbus supply chain issues. The carrier expects 14 A321neos in 2020.
As a result of the delays, JetBlue has postponed cabin retrofits to its Airbus A320 aircraft.
Related: JetBlue Hits Pause on Airbus A320 Cabin Upgrades as Neo Deliveries Slide
Georgetown is JetBlue's second new destination with the A321neo. The airline will begin flights to Guayaquil (GYE) in Ecuador from JFK with the aircraft on Dec. 5. The A321neo makes both routes possible with an additional 575 miles in range as compared to the first generation A321, according to the airline.
JetBlue first announced plans to serve both Georgetown and Guayaquil from JFK at an employee event in April.
American Airlines, perhaps in a pre-emptive move ahead of JetBlue's debut, will begin flights to the Guyanese capital from JFK on Dec. 18.
Both American and JetBlue will compete with Caribbean Airlines on the Georgetown-JFK route, according to Diio by Cirium schedule data.