JetBlue Airways: COO is departing

NEW YORK (AP) - The JetBlue chief operating officer who helped lead the airline through a rapid expansion is leaving.

JetBlue Airways said Monday that Rob Maruster's duties would be taken over by the company president, Robin Hayes, 48.

The New York company did not give a reason for Maruster's departure in a release. The parting was amicable, said a JetBlue spokeswoman in an email.

JetBlue shares fell dropped 2.1% to $7.47 in after-hours trading. They had fallen almost 4% during the day and are down 11% for the year, with the entire decline since JetBlue reported last week that its first-quarter profit fell about 71%, missing Wall Street expectations.

A January storm caused the airline to briefly stop flying at four airports in New York and Boston. Cancellations from that and other storms reduced revenue by $50 million and operating profit by $35 million.

Maruster, 43, joined JetBlue in 2005 as vice president of operational planning. He became chief operating officer in 2009. In a statement, CEO Dave Barger praised his leadership during the airline's growth from 32 cities to 85.