Airlines
JetBlue’s Hayes Rails against Legacy Airline Power Grab
During speech at Aero Club of Washington, the JetBlue CEO sides with Persian Gulf airlines
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes addresses an Aero Club of Washington gathering on September 18. (Photo: JetBlue)
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes addresses an Aero Club of Washington gathering on September 18. (Photo: JetBlue)

JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes clearly aligned himself with the three major Persian Gulf carriers against the so-called “Big Three” U.S. airlines in the long-running dispute over government subsidies during a speech at the Aero Club of Washington on September 18. While promoting the “vital role” JetBlue plays in keeping the commercial aviation industry competitive, Hayes railed against the “startling” concentration of power American, United and Delta Air Lines have accumulated in the process of consolidation. He also characterized the complaints of the three U.S. legacy carriers about the Gulf carriers’ subsidies as “a perfect illustration of how we see megacarriers trying to use their muscle and deep pockets to limit competition.”