JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) chief executive Joanna Geraghty has told employees in a memo that the company is not considering filing for bankruptcy protection in 2026, Reuters and Bloomberg reported.

According to Geraghty, the carrier has sufficient liquidity and access to additional capital, including a recently secured USD500 million loan backed by aircraft, with an option to raise another USD250 million.

Geraghty’s comments come amid high jet fuel prices after US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and after JetBlue founder David Neeleman raised the possibility of the company filing for bankruptcy if fuel prices remain high throughout the year.

In the memo, Geraghty also addressed the ongoing speculation about potential consolidation in the US airline industry. “Any further consolidation would be subject to regulatory review, and the outcome remains uncertain,” she said, adding that the environment in which carriers operate today “is more challenging than we had expected at the beginning of the year, particularly as it relates to fuel prices.”

Airline consolidation rumours include JetBlue hiring an advisory firm to explore potential takeovers by local rivals such as United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or Alaska Airlines. US transportation secretary Sean Duffy recently said he believed there was room for consolidation in the country, but the Trump administration would not pre-commit to anything, despite the US president’s love of “big deals”.