JetBlue Airways has kicked off its latest wave of Transatlantic expansion by opening a new non-stop connection between Boston and London/Gatwick.
Commenting on the route launch on August 4, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes remarked: “Our London service from New York has been an incredible success and we are thrilled to finally bring this highly anticipated service to our Boston customers, a route that has long suffered from high fares by legacy carriers.
“As Boston’s largest carrier, adding this nonstop service to Gatwick will only make us more relevant in our New England focus city and introduce JetBlue to a largely unserved market.”
Gatwick’s chief commercial officer Jonathan Pollard added: “The addition of JetBlue’s Boston route is fantastic news for passengers and businesses across London and the South East. Boston is not only a wonderful city to visit on holiday – playing a key role in American history – but is renowned as a thriving centre for scientific research, innovation, and technology. The wider state of Massachusetts is also a world leader in higher education, with Harvard University one of several top institutions.
“With Gatwick’s direct train links to Cambridge – also known for its top university and as a hub for tech and bioscience industries – as well as more local businesses, this new connection will provide great opportunities for the whole region and beyond.”
The new Boston-Gatwick service, which arrives at the London hub’s North Terminal at 0635hrs and departs back to the US at 1225hrs, builds on JetBlue’s existing long-haul links from New York/JFK to Gatwick and nearby Heathrow. It will be followed this autumn by a new, direct connection between Boston and Heathrow (from September 20) and an additional Gatwick to JFK rotation (from October 29), increasing the number of daily services between the UK and US to five.
JetBlue’s Transatlantic network is operated by its fleet of Airbus A321LRs, which are equipped with 24 premium class ‘Mint’ suites – featuring fully lie-flat beds and a sliding door for privacy – and 114 seats in economy.
