This week, JetBlue announced it will partner with Miami-based consultancy Aeronex Cargo to gradually expand the carrier’s cargo operations.
Initially, JetBlue will utilize flights to and from Fort Lauderdale to interline cargo moving through Miami International (MIA), with Aeronex organizing the MIA to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) road-feeder transportation.
Prior to 2018, the low-cost carrier did not carry any cargo at all. The decision to foray into air cargo follows the successful execution of a pilot program launched in 2018 under which JetBlue transported cargo on flights between FLL and San Juan (SJU).
Expanded cargo operation will be unrolled on an airport-by-airport basis. After Fort Lauderdale, JetBlue and Aeronex Cargo said they expect to open additional cargo operations at other busy gateways, including John F. Kennedy (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX) and Boston Logan (BOS) international airports.
“Our partnership with Aeronex Cargo allows us to efficiently offer cargo services without impact to our customer operation, building new revenue opportunities from excess belly capacity on our fleet of more than 250 aircraft,” said JetBlue director customer experience effectiveness Robert Martinelli.
JetBlue and Aeronex Cargo will evaluate opportunities to expand the cargo operation to nearly 30 cities across the airline’s network where there is high shipping demand, the companies said.
GSA Force will handle sales and marketing for the operation.
JetBlue operates an all-narrowbody fleet comprising of 129 A320-200s, 63 A321-200s along with 60 ERJs. These aircraft serve 103 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with 1,000 daily flights on average.