Stewart landing JetBlue
Low-fair carrier plans Florida links
By Craig Wolf
Poughkeepsie Journal
NEW WINDSOR — Today is a red-letter day for Stewart International Airport as it turns blue — JetBlue.
Bookings to three Florida favorites can be made soon.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, confirmed Tuesday afternoon the deal has been made. He planned to be at the airport this morning to trumpet the arrival of what is probably Stewart’s most sought-after airline.
Beginning in December and January, JetBlue Airways, one of the nation’s top low-fare airlines, will link Stewart to three cities. A daily roundtrip nonstop to Orlando and one to Fort Lauderdale will begin Dec. 19. On Jan. 5, a second daily roundtrip to those cities will be added. And, that day, a single daily flight to West Palm Beach will commence.
A spokeswoman at Schumer’s office said David Neeleman, JetBlue founder and CEO, will also speak this morning.
‘‘JetBlue has decided to make a major commitment to Stewart,’’ Schumer told reporters Tuesday afternoon in a teleconference.
Airport spokeswoman Tanya Vanasse declined to confirm the report, other than to say the news conference is on.
‘‘It is an extremely big announcement and it will have a very positive impact on the airport and we’re extremely excited,’’ Vanasse said.
Mary Truncale, owner of Hooker Avenue Travel, said having JetBlue at Stewart would be ‘‘fabulous.’’
‘‘Everyone is tired of New York City airports, and I think it will be a wonderful thing,’’ she said. ‘‘This is a service seat 156 passengers. That adds 780 seats a day out of Stewart, which comes to a potential 285,000 seats a year. Along with AirTran Airways, which plans to start service from Stewart around the same time, this gives Stewart the potential to more than double its annual volume, which has been declining for about a year.
Jet Blue already flies out of the three metropolitan airports: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark.
The Stewart flights will go to the same cities as those from LaGuardia. JetBlue serves five cities from Newark. JFK is its major center, or ‘‘key city,’’ with service to most cities on the total list.
The Stewart opening flight list is bigger than that of other upstate New York cities served by JetBlue, which are Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester.
JetBlue flies from Buffalo and Syracuse to two cities each, and from Rochester to JFK.
Introductory fares will be $79 each way, Schumer said. Regular fares range from $99 to $299.
Schumer said, ‘‘This is something I have made a mission of. I probably mentioned Stewart to JetBlue 100 times in the last six years.’’
Irwin M. Goldberg contributed to this report. Craig Wolf can be reached at [email protected]
Low-fair carrier plans Florida links
By Craig Wolf
Poughkeepsie Journal
NEW WINDSOR — Today is a red-letter day for Stewart International Airport as it turns blue — JetBlue.
Bookings to three Florida favorites can be made soon.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, confirmed Tuesday afternoon the deal has been made. He planned to be at the airport this morning to trumpet the arrival of what is probably Stewart’s most sought-after airline.
Beginning in December and January, JetBlue Airways, one of the nation’s top low-fare airlines, will link Stewart to three cities. A daily roundtrip nonstop to Orlando and one to Fort Lauderdale will begin Dec. 19. On Jan. 5, a second daily roundtrip to those cities will be added. And, that day, a single daily flight to West Palm Beach will commence.
A spokeswoman at Schumer’s office said David Neeleman, JetBlue founder and CEO, will also speak this morning.
‘‘JetBlue has decided to make a major commitment to Stewart,’’ Schumer told reporters Tuesday afternoon in a teleconference.
Airport spokeswoman Tanya Vanasse declined to confirm the report, other than to say the news conference is on.
‘‘It is an extremely big announcement and it will have a very positive impact on the airport and we’re extremely excited,’’ Vanasse said.
Mary Truncale, owner of Hooker Avenue Travel, said having JetBlue at Stewart would be ‘‘fabulous.’’
‘‘Everyone is tired of New York City airports, and I think it will be a wonderful thing,’’ she said. ‘‘This is a service seat 156 passengers. That adds 780 seats a day out of Stewart, which comes to a potential 285,000 seats a year. Along with AirTran Airways, which plans to start service from Stewart around the same time, this gives Stewart the potential to more than double its annual volume, which has been declining for about a year.
Jet Blue already flies out of the three metropolitan airports: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark.
The Stewart flights will go to the same cities as those from LaGuardia. JetBlue serves five cities from Newark. JFK is its major center, or ‘‘key city,’’ with service to most cities on the total list.
The Stewart opening flight list is bigger than that of other upstate New York cities served by JetBlue, which are Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester.
JetBlue flies from Buffalo and Syracuse to two cities each, and from Rochester to JFK.
Introductory fares will be $79 each way, Schumer said. Regular fares range from $99 to $299.
Schumer said, ‘‘This is something I have made a mission of. I probably mentioned Stewart to JetBlue 100 times in the last six years.’’
Irwin M. Goldberg contributed to this report. Craig Wolf can be reached at [email protected]
, but where the hell is stewart?? :blink: :unsure:
