JetBlue CEO Quits, Replaced By 1st Woman To Lead U.S. Airline

JetBlue has announced that CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month, to be replaced by the airline’s president, Joanna Geraghty, who will become the first woman to lead a major U.S. carrier.

Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has assumed an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018. I Photo: Edward Russell X

Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has assumed an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

Geraghty expressed her honor at getting the new job and said she was looking forward to executing the airline's strategic initiatives, returning to profitable growth, and generating sustainable value for shareholders.

Hayes, 57, announced his retirement for health reasons.

"The extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it’s time I put more focus on my health and well-being," Hayes said.

The leadership change is set to occur on February 12 as JetBlue awaits a federal judge's decision in Boston on whether it can acquire Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in an effort to grow quickly and compete with the largest U.S. airlines. The Justice Department sued to block the deal, and a trial was held last fall.

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