American Airlines to add 23 new flights to and from NYC, partners with JetBlue

American Airlines to add service in New York

NEW YORK — American Airlines plans to add 23 more flights to and from seven new destinations out of New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports by the end of the year.

The carrier, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has also pledged more than $30 million in terminal improvements at the two airports.

Combined with earlier announcements, American and sister carrier American Eagle will add 31 total flights and 13 additional routes to and from the two airports by the end of 2010.

American, a unit of AMR Corp., also is partnering with JetBlue to offer their passengers connections to American’s international flights in and out of New York and Boston.

JetBlue customers will be able to connect on flights to 12 of American’s international destinations from JFK and Boston. On routes where the carriers don’t already compete, American customers can book nonstop JetBlue flights from JFK and Boston to 18 domestic spots.

As part of the deal, American will transfer eight slot pairs at Ronald Reagan National Airport and one slot pair at Westchester Airport in White Plains, N.Y. to JetBlue. In exchange, JetBlue will transfer 12 slot pairs at JFK to American. A slot is an interval of time during which an airline can takeoff or land at an airport.

JetBlue plans to launch service at Reagan National in November. The airline, based in Forest Hills, N.Y., said Wednesday it will initially offer at least eight daily departures from Reagan to East Coast cities.

The carrier already operates at the two other Washington-area airports, Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International.

In addition to the eight daily departures, JetBlue has also asked the Department of Transportation for approval to get slots from US Airways that would give JetBlue five more takeoff and landing times at Reagan.