JetBlue Stock Gains After Airline Wraps Up Airbus Modifications, Calls Q4 Demand ‘Healthy’

• JetBlue said that demand during the fourth quarter has remained healthy, and bookings have been trending in line with expectations.
• The federal shutdown and Hurricane Melissa resulted in a reduction of approximately one point in available seat miles (ASM) growth.
• This firm added that the Airbus recall would affect ASM growth by about 0.25%.

JetBlue (JBLU) stock gained nearly 2% on Tuesday after the carrier said it had completed the required software updates on its Airbus A320 and A321 fleet and had resumed normal operations.

The airline, which operates an all-Airbus fleet, was among the many carriers worldwide affected by a rare Airbus recall. The move comes after investigators found that solar radiation could compromise key flight systems.

Demand Healthy, But Disruptions To Affect Growth

JetBlue said that demand during the fourth quarter has remained healthy, and bookings have been trending in line with expectations except for the limited timeframe of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) emergency order to temporarily reduce flight operations due to the government shutdown.

During the shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, an air traffic controller shortage forced the FAA to issue an emergency order limiting capacity, with flight reductions starting at 4% and later rising to 6%. The firm said Hurricane Melissa also impacted its operational performance in Jamaica.

JetBlue said the twin events resulted in a reduction of approximately one point in available seat miles (ASM) growth due to operational cancellations and schedule reductions in the fourth quarter. The firm added that the Airbus recall would affect ASM growth by about 0.25%.

What Are Stocktwits Users Thinking?

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits about JetBlue was still in the ‘bearish’ territory at the time of writing.

JetBlue's stock has fallen about 42% this year, compared with 4.4% gains of the U.S. Global Jets ETF. The low-cost carrier has faced margin pressure this year, amid a dip in demand.

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