Tiny Cape Air Paved Way for JetBlue, Spirit to Exit Big Cities
- Decisions reveal how DOT is balancing access with low demand
- Cape Air’s temporary withdrawal from JFK set precedent
A Cape Air Cessna 402 aircraft prepares to land at JFK Airport.
Photographer: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. Transportation Department on Tuesday allowed JetBlue Airways Corp. and Spirit Airlines Inc. to halt flights to several large U.S. cities through September, thanks in large part to a much smaller commuter airline based in New England.
Last month, the department granted a request by Hyannis, Massachusetts-based Cape Air Corp. to suspend service from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to the coastal vacation isle of Martha’s Vineyard. In its decision, the department said New Yorkers would continue to have abundant access to air travel from other carriers.