Briefing: JetBlue's Presence
MATT PILON
JetBlue CEO David Barger speaks to reporters Wednesday at the Beechwood Hotel as Transportation Secretary Richard Davey looks on.
No one would ever say JetBlue Airways CEO David Barger is not media savvy. His visit to Worcester last month to meet with members of the city government and business communities was hyped on Twitter and with a JetBlue video made just for Worcester.
That strategy is a part of Barger's focus on growing his company's presence in New England. Many in Worcester hope JetBlue's next expansion will be to Worcester Regional Airport, which earlier this year lost its sole carrier, DirectAir, to bankruptcy.
At which area airports does JetBlue offer flights?
JetBlue has become the largest carrier at Boston's Logan International Airport. But it has steadily added smaller schedules to a number of airports over the past decade, mostly bound for JFK International in New York and several Florida locations. Those airports include Burlington International in Vermont, Portland International in Maine and Bradley International in Connecticut. The carrier also announced this summer that it will begin offering flights from Rhode Island's T.F. Green International in late November. It also offers seasonal service from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
If JetBlue were to come to Worcester, what would its initial schedule look like?
Expect its flight schedule to look similar to many of its regional airport operations. When he came to Worcester, Barger said that if JetBlue opens service here, it would likely start with flights to Florida destinations, including Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
How long might it be before JetBlue offers service out of Worcester?
The smart money is a year or longer. Barger did not explicitly say as much during his visit to the city, but he explained that the company's fleet schedule is committed through 2012 and much of 2013. He said the company typically announces new service locations six months before the first flights take off.
What other factors are important?
A second hurdle for the Worcester airport's ability to attract JetBlue — and any other carriers — is its landing system. An upgrade to a Category-3 landing system would help planes land in foggy conditions, which are common at the airport. MassPort could vote to proceed with an upgrade this month. Richard Walsh, a MassPort spokesman, said a similar system recently installed at Logan cost $13 million, but he cautioned that the systems must be customized to each airport, so price could vary. Walsh said the upgrade would be a multiyear project. It's not yet clear if the federal government would pay for for part of it.
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