American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) and JetBlue (JBLU) announced a new strategic partnership to carry the two airlines forward as the industry attempts to recover. The partnership focused on expansion in New York, will also allow American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) to resume key Trans-Atlantic and intercontinental destinations.

The two airlines will enter into an alliance agreement, including codeshare and loyalty program agreements, enhancing American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) and JetBlue’s (JBLU) offers in New York and Boston airports.

For American Airlines (A1G) (AAL), the partnership seemingly allowed it to gain access to another feeder network, as the mainline carrier announced that it will return to some long-haul destinations. AA will launch flights from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) in Israel, Athens International Airport (ATH) in Greece. Flights from JFK to Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão International Airport (GIG) will also resume in winter 2021, so will flights to TLV and ATH. Furthermore, the Dallas/Fort Worth-based American will continue serving “popular long-haul destinations like London (LHR) and Madrid (MAD).”

JetBlue (JBLU) will continue to expand in New York’s two other airports, namely LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR). JFK will not be left forgotten, as JetBlue (JBLU) will also increase its presence there to facilitate “seamless connections to American’s expanded international network.”

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“Pairing JetBlue’  (JBLU) (JBLU) domestic network with American’s international route map creates a new competitive choice in the Northeast, where customers are longing for an alternative to the dominant network carriers,” stated president and chief operating officer (COO) of JetBlue Joanna Geraghty.

“This partnership with American is the next step in our plan to accelerate our coronavirus recovery, get our crewmembers and our aircraft flying again, and fuel JetBlue’s (JBLU) growth into the future,” added Geraghty.

The agreement is pending the government’s approval. JetBlue (JBLU) has no intentions to join the oneworld alliance or the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement (AJB), stated the press release. Its plans to launch Trans-Atlantic flights between the United States and London in 2021 remain on track.

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