By Robert Wall

LONDON--JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) Chief Executive Robin Hayes is girding for a battle for airport takeoff and landing slots as the U.S. carrier targets trans-Atlantic flights starting in 2021.

JetBlue plans to start serving London from New York and Boston, and also has its eye on other European destinations such as Amsterdam and Paris, Mr. Hayes said in London on Thursday, a day after the carrier committed to launching trans-Atlantic service. JetBlue can bring the planes and the service, he said, adding "the thing we can't bring are the slots."

He urged regulators to make such positions available to newcomer airlines to help foster competition.

JetBlue shares were up 2.6% after the carrier announced its trans-Atlantic ambitions, which have been in the planning for several years.

Mr. Hayes said that regulators should force incumbents to shed slots when they do deals to grow, pointing to immunized joint venture partnerships some of JetBlue's rivals that dominate trans-Atlantic flying enjoy. British Airways parent International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG.LN) is in such a joint venture with American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL), and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), which owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., also is a joint venture partner with Air France-KLM. (AF.FR).

"We see London as really ground-zero in the current battle around joint ventures," Mr. Hayes said in a speech at the Aviation Club in London.

He signaled JetBlue was ready to expand its trans-Atlantic ambitions. The airline is converting orders for 13 planes with Airbus SE (AIR.FR) to the long-range A321LR to fly to Europe. Mr. Hayes noted that when JetBlue introduced its premium Mint cabin, it did so on 11 planes. It is now on 35.

Write to at Robert Wall at Robert.Wall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 11, 2019 11:29 ET (15:29 GMT)