JetBlue Airways posted a first-quarter profit of $12 million, compared to a net loss of $10 million in the year-ago period, and predicted it will "earn a profit every quarter this year." AirTran Airways posted a company record first-quarter profit of $28.7 million, reversed from a $35.4 million loss in the same period a year ago, signaling "the first steps in a long recovery for our company and our industry," Chairman, President and CEO Bob Fornaro said.
Mr. Fornaro added that AirTran believes it will continue profitability by emphasizing short-haul flying, and continuing to build its presence in Milwaukee where it plans to double its capacity this summer. "The timing is right for us to finally get a foothold in the Midwest," he told reporters.
JetBlue’s CEO Dave Barger told reporters that JetBlue intends to compete "aggressively" with rivals going forward, and yesterday it announced that it will add Baltimore to its network by launching four daily Boston-BWI flights on Sept. 9. The airline also is aiming to continue growing its Caribbean presence and will have 20% of its capacity dedicated to Caribbean flights by year end.
