A Change in the Cockpit at JetBlue
Burned by a winter snowstorm, the airline is going back to basics with a new CEO heavily focused on operations
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In its ongoing effort to tighten up operations, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) is replacing its CEO, moving company founder and grand strategist David Neeleman to the role of chairman and installing its president in the job.
The May 10 change comes three months after the airline drew widespread scorn for its near-complete shutdown following two winter storms at its New York hub. The collapse exposed Jetblue's deficiencies in managing its rapid growth and its myriad operational weaknesses, for which Neeleman shouldered much of the blame. The fiasco also cost the company more than $40 million, and prompted it to implement a new "customer bill of rights" with various service pledges.