JetBlue will soon begin rolling out reconfigured aircraft in
its 130-plane Airbus A320 fleet.
The remodeled interiors will be both more modern and denser
than those presently sported by JetBlue A320s.
Speaking during the carrier's earnings call Thursday,
JetBlue CFO Steve Priest said that the carrier's first aircraft to be restyled
is undergoing modifications now. Reconfiguring all 130 aircraft will take
approximately three years and the overhauls will be done in conjunction with
each plane's scheduled heavy maintenance checks.
The remodeled aircraft will hold 162 seats, up from 150. To
make room for the extra seats, JetBlue will decrease the space between rows
from 34 inches to 32 inches.
However, the new interiors will also offer customer service
enhancements. The seats will have in-seat power outlets and USB ports. In-seat
televisions will be high-definition and will be larger than JetBlue's current
TVs while offering more channels.
JetBlue originally announced the overhaul two years ago with
plans to complete the program by 2019. But its start was delayed due to what
Priest called "quality issues of our business partners."
Each plane takes approximately 30 days to retrofit.
Along with its A320 fleet, JetBlue flies 14 of Airbus'
larger A321s.