JetBlue Airways expansion to Guyana proved to be a lucrative decision for the airline and the country.
The flights between New York and Georgetown created opportunities for tourism and business for Guyana.
JetBlue connected the Guyanese population of New York City back to their homeland. JetBlue benefits from serving that travel demand.
In this article, we will explore JetBlue’s expansion into Guyana. We will also provide you with all you need to know about the route between New York and Guyana.
JetBlue’s Expansion to Guyana and What Does it Mean for the Country?
In the last 10 years, JetBlue has made an effort to expand its international presence. They began offering transatlantic flights to Europe.
But, they noticed an underserved region of the world, which is South America.
JetBlue’s Motivations for adding Guyana
In 2019, the airline announced that they will start offering service to Guyana’s capital, Georgetown.
Guyana is an underserved country by the U.S airline market. Guyana brings value with high tourism and business prospects.
According to the World Data Bank, Guyana had seen a sharp uptick in traveler numbers since 2015. In 2015, 207,000 arrivals into the country were attributed to tourism. By 2019, that number increased to 319,000.
JetBlue capitalized on the lack of U.S competition, and sought to become an air travel option for the country.
JetBlue’s VP of Network Planning Andrea Lusso commented on the new JetBlue route, “Guyana service introduces a diverse and underserved destination to the JetBlue route map which will benefit both leisure travelers”.
JetBlue’s Flights Influence on Tourism and Business in Guyana.
Guyana has a beautiful landscape of mountains, forests, and waterfalls. That can make it a dream destination for any nature lover.
Also, Guyana’s offshore oil makes it an excellent place for business opportunity.
JetBlue making Guyana more accessible for travelers, the country’s economy can benefit.
Since JetBlue’s started at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in 2020, yearly passenger arrivals have increased from 186,000 to 370,000.
In the same timespan, yearly airport departures increased from 184,000 to 359,000.
These were the highest departure and arrival numbers the airport has seen since 2013.
Guyana’s gross domestic product value increased from $8 billion in 2021 to $14 billion in 2022.
While it’s hard to see exactly how JetBlue is impacting Guyana’s GDP, they do play a small role.
JetBlue’s Route Serves the Largest Guyanese Community Living in the United States
This route benefits the largest Guyanese populations in the world outside of Guyana.
New York City is home to 140,000 people with Guyanese heritage.
Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar said “New York City is home to the largest Guyanese diaspora community in the world outside of Guyana, and Little Guyana is its heart and soul. People from around the world flock to the neighborhood to enjoy the unique sights, sounds, and tastes of Guyana in New York” during a plaque ceremony at a Subway station in Queens.
JetBlue – a New York based airline provides an outlet for Guyanese travelers to make it back to Guyana. In a little over 5 hours, these people can get a little taste of home. Also, JetBlue earns lots of money from serving this demand.
Where in Guyana does JetBlue Fly To?
JetBlue flights arrive and depart from Cheddi Jagan International Airport near Georgetown, Guyana.
Cheddi Jagan International Airport
Cheddi Jagan International Airport is the country’s most popular international airport.
Compared to most international airports found in the United States, Cheddi is very small. It might be more akin to a reliever type airport. There is only one terminal building that features 10 gates in total, 6 ground level gates and 4 jet bridge gates.
U.S bound passengers flying with JetBlue won’t have trouble finding JetBlue’s check-in and gate area due to the small airport size.
The best practice is always to give yourself more time when trying to navigate an unfamiliar airport.
Where in the U.S Does JetBlue Offer Flights to Georgetown?
JetBlue only offers flights to Guyana from New York – John F Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York.
New York – JFK
New York – JFK Airport is one of the major hubs for JetBlue Airways. The airline is ranked in the top 3 air carriers dominating the airport’s passenger market share.
The bulk of JetBlue’s international flights leave from JFK and the route to Guyana is no exception.
Flights between JFK and Guyana are flown once per day in both directions, all year round.
JetBlue’s Competitors to Flights to Between Guyana and The U.S
Guyana is an underserved market for U.S travel demand.
Besides JetBlue, there are few airlines that see the value of providing nonstop service to Guyana.
American Airlines
American Airlines is the market share leader for flights to Guyana in the U.S and the biggest competitor for JetBlue.
They challenge JetBlue at JFK Airport, offering once daily inbound and outbound flights to Guyana.
Yet, American does provide a leg up on JetBlue since they offer an extra U.S city for flights to Guyana. American Airlines also flies out of Miami, offering once a day service to Guyana.
Caribbean Airlines
Caribbean Airlines is another competitor for JetBlue at JFK airport.
The airline specializes in flights to the Caribbean area so it makes sense they would have a bid for flights to/from Guyana.
They offer the same once a day, year round service that JetBlue and American Airlines provide between the USA and Guyana.
Caribbean does offer a flight to Toronto, another city with a high Guyanese population. However, JetBlue won’t ever look to compete on that route since it’s in Canada.
United Airlines
United Airlines is the last American carrier that provides indirect competition to JetBlue.
While United doesn’t provide flights between the New York Area and Guyana, they do offer a route between their hub in Houston and Guyana.
The Houston-Georgetown route only offers a few days per week.
JetBlue owns a higher market share of passenger seats between the U.S and Guyana than United.
JetBlue Use The Airbus A321 On Flights Between Guyana and U.S
JetBlue uses their Airbus A321 on routes between Guyana and the U.S.
JetBlue’s Airbus A321
The Airbus A321 is a narrowbody passenger plane that is a part of the Airbus A320 family. It is the largest member of the family in length and the amount of passengers it can carry.
JetBlue uses two versions of the Airbus A321 on flights between New York and Guyana. It uses the A321-200 and the Airbus A321neo.
The difference between the -200 and NEO versions is that the NEO version features more fuel efficient and noise-ambient engines, making for a more pleasurable experience for passengers.
The airline configures both versions with the same cabin configurations.
158 seats are devoted to standard economy seats. But rest assured, JetBlue has one of the better economy classes found in the U.S airline market concerning amenities and seat size.
These airplanes are also configured with 42 “Even More Space” seats. This seating option is JetBlue’s premium class offering more leg room and larger seats.
Will JetBlue use their Mint or Airbus A321 XLRs on routes between Guyana and the U.S?
JetBlue will soon be onboarding an Airbus A321 type with a longer flight range than their -200 and neo versions.
The best guesstimate is that JetBlue will likely roll these out on their transatlantic routes before using them on the Guyana route.
There is likely more demand for routes between the states and Europe. JetBlue also flies to European destinations that are farther away compared to their flight between the states and Guyana. Making best use of the Airbus A321 XLR range.
As for their Airbus A321 configured with Mint class, you will most likely not see these on flights between New York and Guyana either.
The Mint class is JetBlue’s business class product. It features lay-flat seating and an elevated level of hospitality.
JetBlue uses these Mint configured planes on flights to Europe. They also use them on domestic trips to major business cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Sources
https://sflcn.com/jetblue-daily-service-new-york-jfk-to-guyana-april-2020/
https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2020/12/15/jetblue-launches-flights-to-guyana
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?locations=GY
https://seatguru.com/airlines/JetBlue_Airways/information.php
