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JetBlue is considering legal action against the Portuguese government after being denied additional slots at Lisbon Airport. The airline claims that Portugal’s slot allocation policies unfairly benefit European carriers and limit access for US airlines, including JetBlue.
The dispute centers on Lisbon Airport, a major transatlantic hub in Southern Europe that has struggled with high demand and limited capacity due to its single runway. According to JetBlue, efforts to expand service at Lisbon have been unsuccessful since 2023 because of repeated slot denials. The airline argues that this situation violates the US-European Open Skies Agreement by restricting US carriers’ opportunities while European airlines face no such limits when flying to the United States.
“JetBlue said its efforts to expand in Lisbon have been hindered since 2023 after repeatedly being denied new slots, while European airlines have enjoyed unrestricted access to US airports, a reality that it deems a violation of the US-European Open Skies Agreement. This has ultimately prevented JetBlue from growing its Southern European network and forced it to rely on unfavorable partnerships, including a short-lived agreement with TAP Air Portugal, which it ended this summer.”
