Delta hires JetBlue executive key to rival American Air alliance

Delta Air Lines Inc. has hired a JetBlue Airways Corp. executive who played a key role in the development of an alliance with American Airlines Group Inc. that has taken aim at rivals in the northeastern U.S.

Scott Laurence will join Delta as vice president of network planning on Jan. 18, the Atlanta-based carrier said in a statement Monday. Laurence spent nearly 14 years at JetBlue, last serving as the airline’s head of revenue and planning.

Laurence led JetBlue’s efforts to develop the American marketing alliance in the hopes that together they could compete more effectively against Delta and United Airlines Holdings Inc. by coordinating flights and sharing revenue mainly among Boston and New York City’s three primary airports. The venture has been challenged in a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit claiming it’s anti-competitive and a de-facto merger.

At Delta, Laurence will work to strengthen the carrier’s global network and joint-venture partnerships, the carrier said. Laurence previously worked in revenue management and network strategy at United.