JetBlue MacArthur-to-Boston flights canceled before they were to debut

JetBlue canceled its route from Long Island MacArthur Airport to Boston on Tuesday, just two days before the inaugural flight was scheduled, because too few passengers had booked the flights, according to Islip Town and airline officials.

A JetBlue spokesperson said in an email to Newsday that bookings did not meet expectations.

The now-canceled direct flights between Islip and Boston were first announced in January, Newsday reported. JetBlue planned to offer daily nonstop service between the two locations from this spring until Oct. 25, the airline said earlier this year.

Islip Town spokesperson Caroline Smith said in an email that “the first flight out of ISP to Boston on JetBlue” was scheduled for Thursday at 6 a.m. Islip Town had planned a small inaugural celebration before that initial flight.

But “the Boston route has been pulled,” Smith confirmed via email Tuesday.

Affected customers will have the option of a refund or will be booked on a flight between Boston and Kennedy Airport, the JetBlue spokesperson said in their email.

Separately, The Associated Press reported that JetBlue has been considering service cuts ahead of the expected financial impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs. AP also reported that JetBlue was seeing a downturn in flight bookings, which are among the first expenses consumers cut back on during times of financial uncertainty.

“In the first quarter we saw booking strength from January deteriorate into February and worsen into March,” said Marty St. George, JetBlue’s president, in a statement to AP.

Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said the town can only do so much to ensure private airline routes remain viable.

"We work very hard to promote air carrier services and products through our marketing efforts. We immediately began promoting [the Islip-Boston] service to raise awareness among Long Island travelers," Carpenter said in a statement. "Our efforts are only a part of a new destination’s success. We need to put people in seats to keep and retain routes."

The route was set to be JetBlue’s first expansion at MacArthur Airport since the airline began flying between Islip and Florida last October. 

Newsday has reported that nearly 1.4 million passengers traveled through MacArthur Airport last year, according to federal statistics. That represents an increase from around 1.2 million in 2023.

Newsday reported last month that Avelo Airlines will add new flights from Islip to both North Carolina and Florida in late May and June.

"The airport’s niche brand for convenience continues to drive customers," Carpenter said. 

With Brianne Ledda

By Sam Kmack

sam.kmack@newsday.com

Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.