IntroductionJetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost regional airline headquartered in Long Island City, New York. JetBlue Airways Corporation is a public company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol JBLU. According to Yahoo Finance, JetBlue operates in the service sector and regional airline industry. JetBlue's main base is at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. As of October 2013, JetBlue serves 84 destinations in 24 U.S. states and 12 countries in the Caribbean, South America and Latin America. As of December 31, 2012, JetBlue had approximately 12,124 employees. Jetblue was founded in 1998 on the principle of providing a low-cost travel experience to its customers. To differentiate JetBlue from its major competitors, such as Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines, JetBlue began offering amenities such as in-flight entertainment, television screens in the back of each seat, and in-flight satellite radio. , a wireless data link for airplanes. service, cabin monitoring systems and voice communication. As quoted by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, JetBlue seeks to “bring humanity back to air travel.” JetBlue's strong management team is led by its President and CEO, David Barger. As of December 31, 2012, it operated a fleet of 127 Airbus aircraft. A320 aircraft and 53 EMBRAER 190 aircraft. Third Quarter 2013 Earnings Report On October 29, 2013, JetBlue announced its third quarter earnings. For the third quarter of 2013, JetBlue reported earnings of 21 cents per share, missing analysts' estimates by a penny. However, profits increased significantly from the 14 cents earned in the corresponding quarter last year, supported by cost controls and increased focus...... middle of paper ...... industry and should therefore be considered as an influential factor.Appendix 6Driving ForcesThe driving forces of the airline industry include factors such as fuel costs, technology, regulation and overall economic conditions. Rising fuel costs pose problems for the airline industry, which is energy-intensive and heavily dependent on oil. Carriers are known to pass on costs to consumers, but unless they all do so simultaneously, those that do are at a competitive disadvantage (Hoovers, 2013). “To minimize the impact of rising fuel prices, airlines can cancel low-capacity routes, consolidate routes and resort to single-engine operation at airports (Hoovers, 2013). » Due to the weak balance sheets of carriers in recent years, they have not been able to hedge against oil prices as much as they would like. They also did not want