United is pulling out of New York's JFK airport indefinitely weeks after threatening to do so
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- United officially announces plans to suspend daily flights from NYC to the West Coast.
- The latest split should not have come as a surprise to JFK. United's done this before.
- United remains eager to 'return to JFK as soon as possible.'
United Airlines broke up with New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport – again – after a short attempt at rekindling the relationship during the pandemic.
The airline officially announced plans Friday to exit JFK in late October when service will be suspended on daily flights from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to an internal memo provided by the carrier to Insider.
"Given our current, too-small-to-be-competitive schedule out of JFK — coupled with the start of the winter season where more airlines will operate their slots as they resume JFK flying — United has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend service at JFK," according to the United memo.
The long-distance relationship between the carrier and the Queens airport has a long history. United pulled out of JFK in 2015 after many years of service, a move current CEO Scott Kirby has labeled a "mistake." The carrier returned in early 2021 – picking up slots from international carriers that weren't using them.
United signaled on September 6 to New York's busiest airport that the carrier might suspend its four daily flights – two to LA and two to San Francisco.
While United is saying farewell for now to JFK, the airline isn't abandoning New York City altogether. The airline remains eager to "return to JFK as soon as possible," according to the internal memo.
Coast-to-coast flights will continue at United's hub at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. United's 100 JFK employees will be offered jobs at nearby airports, according to the carrier.