JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month and be replaced by the airline’s president, Joanna Geraghty, who will be the first woman to lead a major US carrier. Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

Geraghty said she was honoured to get the new job, and said she was looking forward “as we execute on our strategic initiatives, return to profitable growth, and generate sustainable value” for shareholders.

Hayes, 57, said he will retire for health reasons.

The change at the top will occur on Feb. 12. It comes as JetBlue waits for a federal judge in Boston to decide whether it can purchase Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in a bid to grow quickly into a challenger to the biggest US airlines.

JetBlue is the nation’s sixth-biggest airline by revenue, slightly behind No. 5 Alaska Airlines. Hayes has pursued mergers for several years to draw closer in size to American, Delta, United and Southwest.

JetBlue tried to buy Virgin America in 2016, but it was outbid by Alaska Airlines. In 2022, Hayes prevailed as JetBlue beat out Frontier to strike a deal with Spirit, the nation’s biggest low-fare airline.