JetBlue Airways, the sixth-largest airline in the U.S., is adding new flights to the Caribbean and Paris in an attempt to boost its profitability and competitiveness while its proposed merger with Spirit Airlines faces legal challenges.

The airline recently announced that it will launch new routes from Boston to Grenada and from Los Angeles to Nassau, Bahamas, starting in November 2024. These flights will operate on Saturdays only and will complement JetBlue’s existing service to these destinations from other cities. JetBlue also said it will increase its frequency from Boston and New York to the Caribbean, citing strong demand for leisure travel.

In addition, JetBlue said it will begin flying to Paris from New York and Boston in 2025, marking its fourth transatlantic destination after London, Amsterdam and Lisbon. The airline said it will offer low fares and premium service on its Airbus A321LR aircraft, which feature lie-flat seats, free Wi-Fi and live TV.

The new flights are part of JetBlue’s strategy to focus on markets where it has a strong presence or sees growth opportunities, while cutting some of its less profitable routes. The airline said it will discontinue its service from New York’s JFK airport to Portland, Oregon; Ponce, Puerto Rico; Milwaukee; and San Jose, California, as well as from Westchester County Airport to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. It will also exit the Baltimore/Washington International Airport entirely, ending its nonstop flight to Boston.

“We can’t fly everywhere we’d like, so we need to be highly selective about where we point our aircraft in order to turn a profit, support our overall network strategy, and offer a reliable operation,” JetBlue Vice President Dave Jehn wrote in a memo to employees.

The announcement comes as JetBlue and Spirit, the seventh-largest airline in the U.S., are appealing a federal judge’s ruling that blocked their planned merger on antitrust grounds. The Justice Department sued to stop the $3.8 billion deal in October 2023, arguing that it would eliminate a low-cost competitor and lead to higher fares and fewer choices for consumers.

The airlines, which announced their merger agreement in February 2022, said they would create a stronger and more efficient carrier that could offer more destinations, lower fares and better service. They also said they would save $400 million a year in operating costs and generate $1 billion a year in revenue synergies.

However, U.S. District Judge William Young sided with the government and issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, saying that the merger would likely violate the Clayton Act, which prohibits mergers that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly. He said that JetBlue and Spirit compete directly on many routes, especially in the Northeast and Florida, and that their combination would reduce the number of major airlines in the U.S. from seven to six.

The airlines said they were disappointed by the ruling and filed a notice of appeal with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, following the terms of their merger agreement. They said they remain committed to the merger and believe it is in the best interest of their customers, employees and shareholders.

“We continue to believe that our merger will benefit the traveling public by providing more options, lower fares and better service, and that it will enhance competition in the U.S. airline industry,” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes and Spirit CEO Ted Christie said in a joint statement.

The appeal process could take several months or longer, and the outcome is uncertain. In the meantime, the airlines said they will continue to operate as independent companies and focus on their respective recovery plans amid the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Caribbean is till well served as there are many airlines that operate in the Caribbean region, offering flights to various destinations across the islands and beyond. According to a web search, some of the best airlines in Caribbean countries are Copa Airlines, Cayman Airways, Caribbean Airlines, Bahamasair, and InterCaribbean AirwaysAd1. These airlines are known for their customer service, reliability, and network coverage. Some of the major international airlines that fly to the Caribbean are British Airways, KLM, Air France, United, American, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest23. They offer frequent and convenient connections from Europe and North America to the most popular islands.