CEO of Jet Blue Loses Job

Posted by Jennifer W. Miner May 15, 2007

Remember the whole JetBlue Airways fiasco on Valentine's Day? I sure do: Passengers stranded on the tarmac for 10 hours during an ice storm, well over a thousand flights cancelled though the few days' bad weather, etc. All of us who weren't stuck at the JFK airport for the duration of the JetBlue debacle sympathized with those who were (and breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't us).

Well, it looks like the corporation has decided where the buck stops, and that is at the very top. David Neeleman, the founder and CEO of Jet Blue, is being removed from his position. The new chief executive of Jet Blue, David Barger (what is it with this airline company and Daves?) doesn't expect JetBlue Airways' strategy to change much. Comparably low fares and genuinely friendly service, all in a pretty egalitarian setup, worked really well for Jet Blue up until last Valentine's Day.

David Neeleman isn't leaving Jet Blue altogether, however. He plans to work within the corporation to seek out viable alternate energy for jet fuel and improve upon the existing Live TV unit, as well as research improved e-ticket programs. I have to admit, I'm glad Neeleman's not being kicked to the curb (right by the curbside check-in) by JetBlue Airways. After all, he did create an airline company that is, by community standards, pretty great. Customer satisfaction with airlines is tanking, and it's nice to know that at least one low-cost, friendlier airline company is keeping the guy that helped make it so.