David Neeleman stepping down as jetBlue CEO

[kc2aqg]

Found this story this morning:
From CNN:
http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/10/news/companies/jetblue_ceo.reut/index.htm?postversion=2007051009

From jetBlue:
http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=998672&highlight=

It's really hard to believe. David Neeleman has always been an airline idol in my eyes with all of the revolutionary ideas he's brought to passenger air travel. I knew the Valentine's day disaster would spell bad news for the company, but I didn't see this coming. I think Dave Barger is definitely qualified for the job, but I'm not sure how the attitude/tone of the company is going to change now that Neeleman is less involved.

Thoughts?

[Matt Molnar]

The board of directors kicked his ass out. The move is making investors happy: JBLU is up over 4.5% today. I don't really know anything about Barger, but I think change might be beneficial in light of what happened in February and the company's somewhat shaky financial situation.

[hiss srq]

David should have kept everything privatized from the getgo. The airline was founded based on his personal credit and his cash for the most part except for the airplanes.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

I am in shock, wasn't JetBlue David Neeleman's "baby"?

[T-Bird76]

This isn't shocking news at all and anyone shocked by it must have their head in the sand for the last year. jetBlue performance over the last couple of years has been piss poor, their stock price has tumbled and the investors aren't happy. An Airline isn't a toy for someone to do what they want, its a public company that has to deliver return to its investors and jetBlue hasn't done that. Expect to see some changes at B6 over the next year.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

Okay, I hope they are good ones!

[Nycfly75]

Now jetblue is the target of takeover rumors, according to bloomberg.

[Ari707]

by who?????

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

Yeah, by who?

[Matt Molnar]

Some Wall St analysts chime in (http://www.smartmoney.com/onedaywonder/index.cfm?story=20070510) as to why Neeleman left. One compares him to Michael Dell...great entrepreneur, but the company just got too big for him to manage effectively. Another blames the addition of the E-190 for exposing their operational weaknesses.

CNNMoney reports there's been a rumor floating among Delta and jetBlue employees about Delta snapping them up. I haven't found the Bloomberg story yet.

[Mellyrose]

and the Times....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/busin ... ref=slogin (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/business/11jetblue.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin)

[Ari707]

CNNMoney reports there's been a rumor floating among Delta and jetBlue employees about Delta snapping them up. I haven't found the Bloomberg story yet

and rename it Song????

[hiss srq]

Well that would be one way to rabidly expand and bring back that glorious product as well as maintain a low operation cost compareatively speaking. Jet Blue pilots are not unionized as far as I know and they top out at a much lower pay scale than Delta pilots which means that the operating costs to fly Song would be much more in line with the philosophy behind Song in the first place. Again this is just my take but I do not think it would happen really unless Delta is thaty desperate to saturate markets they already cover pretty well.

[T-Bird76]

The only two things I can see that Delta would want from jetBlue is the new terminal and the domestic connections. If Delta wants to continue its expansion and presence in the New York area they need the passenger handling facilities which they don't have right now. Otherwise I can't see what else Delta would want, the Airbus's would be a nightmare for them. Now Frontier would be cool, we'd have allot of Frontier but with cool tails, hehe.

[N790SW]

I wounder how long until jet Blue Sings the Blues? :roll:


This Sounds silly but imagine WN taking over B6? Gives you something to think about eh?

[hiss srq]

No, not really. Southwest and Jetblue coming together is about as likely as a yellow fin tuna flying 737's in Canada.