A JetBlue plane had to urgently return to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Tuesday evening after debris was found in its engines.
The Airbus A320, flying from JFK to West Palm Beach, was at an altitude of 5,000 feet when air traffic controllers spotted debris coming off the aircraft.
JetBlue Quick Landing After Debris Scare
The pilots quickly decided to turn the plane around and made a safe landing back at JFK approximately 30 minutes later on runway 22L.
Following the incident, another JetBlue Airbus was sent to check the runway. Initially, nothing was found, but a closer look revealed two metal pieces near the runway's lights.
Travel and Tour World says that a thorough inspection of the area uncovered three medium-sized metal fragments, confirming the initial concerns about foreign object debris (FOD) - a known aviation hazard.
FOD can cause serious damage and is something all airports try to keep in check to avoid accidents.
The affected JetBlue aircraft, which is over 24 years old and equipped with 162 seats, was originally delivered to JetBlue in June 2000.
After a stint with Germany's Blue Wings from 2006 to 2010, it rejoined JetBlue's fleet. Following this incident, the plane has been listed as "stored" on Planespotters.net.
To handle the disrupted travel plans, JetBlue arranged for another Airbus A320, registration N636JB, to take the passengers to West Palm Beach, landing three hours behind the original schedule.
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New Daily Flights Enhance Connections
JetBlue is stepping up its game with plans to add a new daily flight from Washington D.C. to Puerto Rico, aiming to better connect the two regions.
The airline, known for its budget-friendly options, wants to start a second daily nonstop flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan. This move comes after the success of their initial daily flight launched in 2012.
The recent Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 is giving JetBlue this new opportunity.
In another Travel and Tour World report, the act allows some flights to go beyond the usual distance limits from D.C., and JetBlue is ready to use one of these chances to fly more often to Puerto Rico.
Every day, JetBlue shows its strong operations. For example, on July 5, a JetBlue Airbus A321 took off at 08:19 from D.C., reached San Juan at 11:36, and then headed to New York. This quick turnaround is just one example of how JetBlue keeps its planes and crews moving efficiently.
Looking forward, JetBlue isn't just increasing flights to Puerto Rico. The airline plans to bring its Mint premium service to flights between New York and San Juan and is setting up a new crew base in San Juan.
This base will help support more than 370 JetBlue crew members already working in Puerto Rico.
JetBlue is also working on better connections to places like the U.S. Virgin Islands. By the end of 2024, JetBlue plans to offer flights to 18 destinations directly from Puerto Rico, including a new route to St Croix starting in December.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
