Our ESG Strategy

JetBlue views robust oversight of ESG matters as important to ensuring our long-term growth, sustainability and success. Recognizing that ESG is a continuous improvement journey, JetBlue is constantly seeking to understand and mitigate related risks while maximizing opportunities to drive sustainability, while integrating ESG into our overall corporate strategy. Through ongoing engagement with stakeholders across the organization and externally, we continue to refine our most pressing issues to reflect their needs and goals as well as macro-economic and environmental conditions.

We believe transparency and regular reporting are key to driving sustainability across our business, harmonizing with our stakeholders, and serving our communities as they relate to climate change and the environment, culture and human capital.

Recent Highlights

Achieved approval of our science-based target by SBTi

with the goal to reduce well-to-wake Scope 1 and 3 GHG emissions related to jet fuel 50% per revenue tonne kilometer by 2035 from a 2019 baseline.

Doubled the procurement of SAF in our operations in 2023

we’ve signed multiple new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) deals supplying us with millions of gallons for the next decade, and we are now sourcing SAF in our operations from three different producers across multiple airports.

Reduced CO2 per Available Seat Mile (ASM) by roughly 6% in 2023 versus 2019 levels

due to the use of fleet upgrades, fuel optimization efforts, and SAF, and we are on pace to reduce per-seat aircraft emissions even further.

Increased conversion to electric ground support equipment (eGSE) at several key BlueCities

which increased our average eGSE use to approximately 21% of bag tugs, belt loaders, and push backs.

Expanded opportunities for minority and women-owned business partners

by including at least one diverse business partner in all RFPs where possible.

Encourage a more diverse and representative talent pool by helping to remove the unnecessary barriers to rewarding careers in aviation

our Gateways development programs have shown how building multiple talent pipelines to pilot and maintenance technician roles can grow our candidate pool and build a workforce that looks more like the communities we serve. By removing the obstacles that often prevent those with the aptitude and passion from pursuing their dreams we’re seeing greater participation from previously underrepresented groups, with women and/or people of color representing approximately 60% of all participants.

Enhanced our impact across our value chain through an ESG - Business Partner management program

by integrating deeper ESG risk awareness, management and opportunity creation across our supply chain.

Launched BlueAbilities, our newest crewmember Resource Group (CRG)

creating a safe space for people with disabilities and allies of the community.

At its heart, ESG drives performance, allowing us to understand what our risks and opportunities are for our business. It helps ensure that JetBlue is a desirable and collaborative place to work, where crewmembers feel represented and empowered to deliver at the highest level of service while growing with the company. It also provides us with the platform to enable greater sustainability across the three elements – E, S, and G.

- Joanna Geraghty, CEO

Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue CEO

Environmental Strategy

Our long-term goal is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and we are setting clear targets and delivering with real action along the way. To ensure progress toward our ambitious goals, we have integrated science-based environmental risks and opportunities into broader business goals and decision-making processes.

Our Levers to Decarbonize

  • Fleet Renewal. We are ordering new, fuel-efficient aircraft and simultaneously retiring older, less fuel-efficient airplanes.
  • Fuel Optimization. We operate a cross-functional team focused on procedural and technological improvements to drive increased fuel-efficiency in our operations.
  • Sustainable Aviation Fuel. We are regularly flying on SAF that reduces lifecycle emissions by roughly 80% today compared to conventional jet fuel and are constantly seeking additional growth opportunities.
  • High Integrity Carbon Credits. For a portion of our emissions that cannot be avoided by solutions more directly tied to our operation, we are sourcing high-integrity carbon credits to fund nature and technology-based avoidance and removal projects.
  • Technology Partnerships. Primarily through our subsidiary JetBlue Ventures (JBV), we support and invest in lower-emission aircraft technologies such as electric and hydrogen aircraft and direct air capture technologies.

Our Environmental Targets

Emissions

Achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, including high integrity carbon offsets.

Reduce aircraft emissions 25% per available seat mile (ASM) by 2030 from 2015 levels, excluding offsets.

(New!) Reduce well-to-wake (lifecycle) Scope 1 and 3 GHG emissions related to jet fuel by 50% per RTK (revenue tonne kilometer) by 2035 from a 2019 base year (science-based target, validated in 2022 by SBTi).

Sustainable Energy

Convert 10% of jet fuel to be from blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030.

Convert 40% of our 3 most common owned ground service equipment types (bag tugs, belt loaders, and push backs) to electric by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

Waste

Maintain at least an 80% recycling rate for audited domestic flights.

Eliminate single-use plastics within serviceware, where possible. Where not feasible, ensure plastic is recyclable.

Environmental Governance

Our Sustainability and ESG group leads climate change -risk and -opportunity initiatives while performing additional risk and opportunity assessments related to possible emissions regulations on an on-going basis. To execute our critical environmental work, we employ a dedicated Sustainability and ESG leader and team to oversee the sustainability efforts of our entire airline and keep our leadership team and Board aware of climate related risks and opportunities when developing targets, strategy, performance, and budgets.


Operating an Efficient Fleet

Our investments in new next generation aircraft are expected to increase fuel efficiency and reduce costs. Our growing fleet of Airbus 321new aircraft are improving fuel economy by approximately 20% per seat. Further, JetBlue continues to take delivery of Airbus A220 aircraft, reducing emissions by up to 35% per seat compared to the aircraft they are replacing.


Reducing Fuel Burn

Fuel optimization is our key priority, as we aim to develop data-driven strategies that can minimize fuel consumption, reduce costs, and in turn, reduce emissions. Our cross-functional Fuel Optimization Team focuses entirely on fuel savings opportunities.

Transitioning to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Today we are regularly flying with SAF which reduces lifecycle emissions by up to 80% per gallon before being blended with conventional fuel. We view SAF as the most promising means for us to rapidly and directly reduce emissions in the aviation industry and drive us towards a net-zero operation. JetBlue began regular use of SAF starting in 2020 and in 2023, became the first U.S. airline to regularly fly on SAF from the three domestically available SAF producers.

Through our many SAF partnerships with Corporate customers, we are working to both give our business travel customers the sustainable solutions they are seeking and enable JetBlue to source more SAF than we could have alone. See more on JetBlue’s Sustainable Travel Partners (JSTP) program.

Advancing the Future of Flight

We seek innovative business opportunities that may accelerate lower-carbon technologies and help reach JetBlue’s goals and targets. Our venture capital arm, JetBlue Ventures (JBV), invests in and partners with early-stage technology startups, including those in sustainable travel space, that will provide value in the near term and in the next five, ten, or twenty years. As of December 2023, JBV has invested in 11 sustainability-related companies.

Social Strategy

We believe our success depends on crewmembers delivering an optimal JetBlue Experience both in the sky and on the ground. One of our competitive strengths is a service-oriented culture grounded in our five core values, along with a highly productive and engaged workforce, which enhances customer loyalty. Our aspirational goal is to hire, train, and retain a diverse workforce of crewmembers equally committed to our mission of inspiring humanity.

Our Social Targets

Leadership Diversity

Double our race and ethnic minority representation at the officer and director level, from 12.5% to 25% by 2025.

Increase our female representation at the officer and director level, from 32% to 40% by the end of 2025.

Business Partner Engagement

Increase spend with Business Partners from traditionally underrepresented and/or disadvantaged backgrounds by 5% year over year through the end of 2024.

Broaden our Business Partner pool by requiring all purchases to include at least one underrepresented and/or disadvantaged Business Partner in the selection process, when possible.

Safety Management

Safety is a top priority for our business. Therefore, we ensure quality management and oversight with an exceptional allocation of resources and expertise to mitigate safety risks while optimizing opportunities for efficiency. Our Safety Management System (SMS) is all about being proactive and managing risks before they have the chance to become incidents.


Talent Development

We invest in our crewmembers through professional training, skills development and career advancement, while supporting our long-term pipeline, in order to be best positioned to attract and retain talent. At JetBlue, our goal is for crewmembers to soar to new heights in their careers and our culture emphasizes the importance of customer service, productivity and cost control.

We are especially proud of our JetBlue Gateways development program, an industry-leading career development program that opens the door for both crewmembers and external applicants to pursue a path to a pilot or maintenance technician position. At JetBlue, we believe there’s a right path for everyone, and our mission is to provide access to unique programs for people of all backgrounds. We offer multiple pathways for those who’ve dreamed, but never had the opportunity to pursue highly skilled careers in the aviation industry. See more on JetBlue’s Gateways.

Crewmember (employee) Engagement

Thoughtful and intentional crewmember engagement provides us with information to assess and refine the necessary changes for a robust and dedicated culture. We believe one of the best ways to measure success is to ensure our crewmembers feel recognized, heard, and given the opportunity to drive real-time feedback and input into the business.

Hiring & Retention

We continue to advance our hiring and recruiting polices to be more inclusive and broaden opportunities. Our hiring and retention initiatives are helping drive sustainable talent outputs with the aim to retain institutional knowledge, drive down hiring costs and support crewmembers’ needs for continued motivation and advancement.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

We recognize that diversity drives performance and promotes opportunities for growth and innovation, thereby creating a culture of inclusion; everyone can bring their true self to work, and succeed. With consistent effort and integration, DEI will demonstrate its value - not as an additive factor, but instead as a necessary element in our business’ success.


Supporting Our Business Partners

Through our responsible and sustainable supply chain strategy, we aim to strengthen our impact across global environmental, social and ethical conditions, side-by-side with our business partners. We strive to identify supply chain risks and respond to them by implementing sustainable mechanisms as an opportunity to strengthen environmental, labor, ethical and social conditions.

Governance Strategy

We believe that strong corporate governance, informed by engagement directly with our stakeholders, creates the foundation that allows us to pursue our mission. We recognize that ESG issues touch all parts of our business. To ensure we are appropriately identifying and managing potential ESG-related risks and opportunities, such as the risks associated with climate change, we have incorporated ESG considerations into our core business functions, including those of our Board.

ESG Management and Oversight

To manage the day-to-day impacts surrounding ESG, our dedicated Sustainability and ESG team is responsible for overseeing the efforts of the business and apprising the Board and leadership of risks and opportunities when developing strategy, performance,and budgets.


Business Ethics & Compliance

JetBlue understands the potential financial and reputational risks associated with unethical behavior and non-compliance, especially as we operate in a heavily regulated industry. We take our commitments to integrity and ethics seriously and have implemented a robust and rigorous compliance and ethics program.


Cybersecurity & Data Privacy

The secure maintenance and transmission of customer and crewmember information is a critical element of our operations and enables the sustainability of our cybersecurity and data management program. In the current environment, there are numerous and evolving risks and our commitment to protecting data security and privacy reaches the very top of the JetBlue organization.

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