This is awesome news for the Capital Region. I contacted JetBlue myself with the same request some months ago, and I’m glad to see that I’ve now got Chuck Schumer looking out for me. Time to write letters of encouragement to Schumer, JetBlue, and Albany International Airport.
Schumer reaches out to JetBlue:
Albany International Airport should be on the list of destinations for low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways Inc., U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday.
“Albany is the perfect place for JetBlue’s newest jets,” he said. “The aircraft would mean new destinations and expanded service, both of which would drive down airfares throughout the Capital Region.”
JetBlue, headquartered at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, is evaluating where to deploy up to 200 new Embraer 190 aircraft, purchased in 2003.
The company now offers service to 29 U.S. cities, including Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.
Officials at Albany International Airport said Wednesday they would welcome JetBlue, but finding space for the discount carrier’s planes could be a problem.
JetBlue officials said they had an open mind on Schumer’s suggestion.
…
“We are excited to be the world’s first airline for the new Embraer E190 … and look forward to introducing it to new and existing markets alike as we spread the reach of our low fares,” spokesman Bryan Baldwin said in a written statement.
“Senator Schumer has been a long-standing and strong supporter of ours, and a frequent customer, and we are grateful for his friendship and will carefully look at his suggestions,” Baldwin said.
This will be huge for the region because Southwest isn’t the discount carrier it used to be, and getting from Saratoga Springs to New York or Syracuse (JetBlue’s closest airports) isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Case in point: Jen and I are spending several hundred dollars more than we otherwise would have for the convenience of flying out of Albany for our upcoming trip to New Orleans.
Go Chuck go!
