Joanna Geraghty on profitability
From JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty Talks Travel Demand, Prices | Bloomberg Talks · · Bloomberg Podcasts
“The focus is is generating an operating profit to begin with, and we're not there yet. So, first step is generating an operating profit, which we were on track to do this year until the war. Um, and so that's a bit of a step back, obviously, given, you know, the cost of fuel and so much money is just being directed towards that. Um, the hope is that that moderates, and that comes to an end, and fuel comes down over time, and then we'll be back to focusing on generating an offer operating profit. That's the first step. The second step is then free cash flow and you start paying off your debt. Um but we need to be very mindful of that. We do have a pretty heavy debt burden, but we also have a lot of liquidity. We also have a lot of unencumbered assets.”
On , Joanna Geraghty, Chief Executive Officer & Director at JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP, spoke about profitability during JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty Talks Travel Demand, Prices | Bloomberg Talks on Bloomberg Podcasts.
About Joanna Geraghty
Joanna Geraghty, CEO of JetBlue Airways, said in a June 2026 interview at the IATA annual meeting that the company is "very pleased with the demand environment" for summer travel, though she noted that the airline is passing on about 40% of fuel costs to customers, which she described as "not great." She stated that JetBlue's turnaround plan, dubbed "JetForward," is working but that the airline needs a more cooperative macroeconomic environment, citing volatile fuel prices, government shutdowns, and other disruptions. Geraghty also said the airline is focused on expanding its connecting operation in Fort Lauderdale and implementing its partnership with United Airlines, including integrating its Paisley vacation platform. In a May 2026 appearance at the WBUR Breakfast Club, Geraghty described current market conditions as a "new normal" of "volatility," noting that jet fuel had risen 59% in the months prior to the event and that operating costs since COVID-19 were up 40% while fares had risen only 20%. She said JetBlue remains a "5% player in a land of giants" and faces structural disadvantages due to lack of scale and the blocked Spirit Airlines merger. Geraghty rejected speculation that the airline might file for bankruptcy, calling such claims "not true" and attributing them to founder David Neeleman, who she said has not been involved with the company for 18 years. She also defended the airline's role in driving competition, stating that consumers should choose JetBlue because it "keeps them with lower fares."