JetBlue to cut flights in and out of hometown New York by as much as 80%

CHICAGO (Reuters) – JetBlue Airways Corp plans to reduce daily flights in and out of the four New York City-area airports where it operates by as much as 80% in April as part of wider schedule cuts due to the coronavirus outbreak, a spokesman said.

Airlines worldwide are drastically scaling back their flying schedules as the coronavirus outbreak and government restrictions on movement in response to it drives down global air travel demand.

JetBlue plans to reduce its overall schedule from an average of some 1,000 daily departures to about 300 in April, a roughly 70% cut. Flights in and out of New York City-area airports will decline to 60 from 205 and likely see further reductions to as few as 40 per day, the company said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory over the weekend warning against all non-essential travel to and from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sonya Hepinstall)