JetBlue says demand for air travel ‘strong’ throughout summer peak

JetBlue (JBLU) said: “Demand for air travel remained strong throughout the summer peak. Momentum from earlier in the summer carried forward into August and through the Labor Day holiday, both of which were marked by strength for bookings within 14-days of travel. As JetBlue continues to focus on improving reliability, strong operational performance in August contributed to better-than-expected revenue performance. For the fourth quarter, while it is early in the booking curve, JetBlue remains encouraged that current trends may carry-forward through year-end. JetBlue’s non-fuel unit costs benefited from strong August operational performance and continued execution on cost initiatives. Additionally, fuel prices have declined since the previous guidance update, further improving projected operating expenses.”