Steve was named senior vice president of system operations and airports in March 2025 with oversight of airport operations across JetBlue’s 100+ destinations, as well as the company’s system operations center which manages the airline’s round-the-clock operation.
He joined JetBlue in September 2022 as vice president, system operations. During this time, Steve helped lead the airline’s daily flight execution, driving improvements in reliability and efficiency—a key pillar of JetBlue’s JetForward strategy aimed at returning the company to sustained profitability.
Under Olson’s leadership, JetBlue has made significant progress in on-time performance and has improved recovery from disruptions—an especially complex challenge given the airline’s East Coast-focused network. Olson has also led a major operational modernization effort, including the addition of state-of-the-art aircraft movement and flight planning systems with a new crew management system.
Prior to joining JetBlue, Steve spent nearly two decades with American Airlines – and its predecessors US Airways and America West – including as managing director of the integrated operations center for American with oversight of nearly 6,000 daily flights across the globe.
Steve started on the frontline as a customer service representative with America West, and also has 14 years of experience as an aircraft maintenance technician with the Arizona Air National Guard, on top of being a licensed aircraft dispatcher and commercial pilot.