Hardware Podcasts

JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman (2019)

How I Built This · 31 May 2021 · 1h 05m

What this episode covers

David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue and Azul, recounts his journey from a college dropout who failed in a timeshare business to launching five airlines. He details how his experience at Southwest Airlines, where he was fired for being too aggressive, and his time building a reservation system during a non-compete period, informed his decision to launch JetBlue with Airbus A320s and premium amenities. Neeleman explains the catastrophic 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm, which led to his ousting from JetBlue, and his subsequent success in Brazil with Azul, where he maintains voting control to avoid similar board interference.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Morris Air, Airbus, Boeing, Azul, Breeze Airways, H.P. Helo Packard
Products
A320, 737

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