en.Wedoany.com Reported - JetBlue Airways carried 39.4 million passengers between February 2025 and January 2026, a decrease of 1.2 million passengers compared to the previous 12 months, representing a year-over-year decline of 3.0%. The airline's share of the U.S. market dipped slightly, with one in every 29 passengers flying on the carrier as the nation's sixth-largest operator. With the now-defunct Spirit Airlines (the eighth-largest U.S. operator) exiting the market, JetBlue's share is expected to increase. JetBlue has already added multiple new routes from Fort Lauderdale Airport, which was Spirit's busiest airport.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, in the 12 months ending January 2026, 73% of JetBlue's passengers were domestic travelers, ranking its domestic volume sixth nationwide. International flights accounted for 27% of its passenger traffic, making JetBlue the fourth-largest international airline in the U.S. Its overall load factor was 82.3%, only slightly above the U.S. average. The international route load factor was 81.2%, higher than Southwest Airlines' 80.9%.
The route with the lowest load factor was New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Manchester, New Hampshire, at just 29.2%. This route operated between June and September 2025, using 162-seat Airbus A320s daily, with only about 47 seats occupied per flight. U.S. Department of Transportation data shows that two-thirds of passengers connected at JFK Airport.
The routes with the second to fifth lowest load factors were: JFK to Providence (36.5%, carrying 31,839 passengers), JFK to Hartford (40.5%, 36,109 passengers), Boston Logan International Airport to Martha's Vineyard (46.2%, 9,297 passengers), all of which were still operating in 2026. The Fort Lauderdale to Grand Cayman route ranked fifth with a 46.8% load factor (3,318 passengers); this route was relaunched in December 2025 after being suspended in 2022. The routes from JFK to Providence and Hartford are partly operated to occupy slots and also to facilitate passenger connections at JFK. JetBlue launched routes from the New York metropolitan area to the most populous cities in Connecticut and Rhode Island in April 2025, using A320s daily. 86% of Hartford passengers connected at JFK, with over 5,000 passengers traveling solely to and from JFK. Booking data indicates that most passengers connected from Hartford via JFK to Aruba, Cancun, Los Angeles, Punta Cana, and Montego Bay. Avelo Airlines operated direct flights to Cancun, Punta Cana, and Montego Bay last year but has since canceled all international routes. JetBlue's last direct flight from Hartford to Los Angeles was discontinued in 2024, which also contributed to the city's high ranking on this list.
The routes with the sixth to tenth lowest load factors were: JFK to Vero Beach, Florida (49.5%, carrying 7,838 passengers), launched in December 2025 as the first flight from JFK to Vero Beach, initially operated by A320s, with the A220-300 set to replace it in June, and the A320 returning during peak periods in the 2026/2027 winter season. Boston Airport to Presque Isle, Maine (50.3%, 42,270 passengers), a route subsidized by the Essential Air Service program, receiving $10 million to $11 million annually, requiring nearly $12 million per year to maintain operations. Boston Airport to New York LaGuardia Airport (51.8%, 47,747 passengers), Tampa to Punta Cana (52.5%, 7,654 passengers), and JFK to Hyannis (54.3%, 16,278 passengers).
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