RI Makes Pitch to B6 to Fly Out of PVD
Aug 25, 2011, 7:37 am
#1
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RI Makes Pitch to B6 to Fly Out of PVD
Chafee leads delegation to persuade JetBlue to fly out of T.F. Green
Governor Chafee will lead a delegation of Rhode Islanders to the offices of JetBlue Airlines in Forest Hills, N.Y., Thursday in an effort to persuade the airline to fly out of T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.
The Rhode Island delegation is scheduled to meet with JetBlue president and CEO Dave Barger. The group will include Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian; Laurie White, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce; James Bennett, director of the Providence Economic Development Corporation; Kathleen Hittner, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation; and Kevin Dillon, president and CEO of the Airport Corporation. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation is the state agency that runs T.F. Green.
JetBlue is a low-cost airline, with its main base of operation in New York. It also flies out of Boston’s Logan Airport, where it has been battling with rival Southwest Airlines.
Southwest is the dominant airline at T.F. Green. Passenger traffic at Green has been declining for several years, which Dillon has blamed on a declining economy. Another factor, he said, has been Southwest starting service at Logan, which has drawn some passengers who would have flown out of Rhode Island.
Dillon said Rhode Island airport officials have met with JetBlue on a number of occasions over the past several years, and Thursday’s meeting is part of a continuing effort to impress upon JetBlue the benefits of operating at Green.
“My meeting with JetBlue, an airline that has found tremendous success with its commitment to customer service and affordability, is part of an ongoing effort to further establish Warwick as a transportation hub and economic engine for the state and the region,” Chafee said in a statement.
JetBlue released a brief statement saying the airline is constantly evaluating destinations, but it had nothing to announce at this time.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/CH...v10.4f96c.html
Governor Chafee will lead a delegation of Rhode Islanders to the offices of JetBlue Airlines in Forest Hills, N.Y., Thursday in an effort to persuade the airline to fly out of T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.
The Rhode Island delegation is scheduled to meet with JetBlue president and CEO Dave Barger. The group will include Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian; Laurie White, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce; James Bennett, director of the Providence Economic Development Corporation; Kathleen Hittner, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation; and Kevin Dillon, president and CEO of the Airport Corporation. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation is the state agency that runs T.F. Green.
JetBlue is a low-cost airline, with its main base of operation in New York. It also flies out of Boston’s Logan Airport, where it has been battling with rival Southwest Airlines.
Southwest is the dominant airline at T.F. Green. Passenger traffic at Green has been declining for several years, which Dillon has blamed on a declining economy. Another factor, he said, has been Southwest starting service at Logan, which has drawn some passengers who would have flown out of Rhode Island.
Dillon said Rhode Island airport officials have met with JetBlue on a number of occasions over the past several years, and Thursday’s meeting is part of a continuing effort to impress upon JetBlue the benefits of operating at Green.
“My meeting with JetBlue, an airline that has found tremendous success with its commitment to customer service and affordability, is part of an ongoing effort to further establish Warwick as a transportation hub and economic engine for the state and the region,” Chafee said in a statement.
JetBlue released a brief statement saying the airline is constantly evaluating destinations, but it had nothing to announce at this time.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/CH...v10.4f96c.html
Aug 29, 2011, 2:08 pm
#3
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How about B6 can bring more specific new route from PVD-FLL/MCO/TPA/RSW/SJU? That will be a logical choice for B6. I think those route will done extremely performance very well. Why they don't have a consider to start direct flight from PVD-LAS/LAX or somewhere else.
Sep 24, 2011, 4:43 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 933
Local news this morning (9/24) is indicating that JB may be coming to PVD. Should be interesting. JB President is twitting that he likes PVD and the runway expansion was just approved by the federal goverment. That changes everything for TF Green airport.
Oct 1, 2011, 11:56 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 153
I bet they are coming. B6's expansion at Boston (along with Southwest and Virgin) has made it a lot cheaper to fly there so fewer pax are driving to PVD. MHT is in the same boat (and ever worse with PWM now cheap too).
By flying to PVD, B6 can not only draw passengers from its existing cache area (south of Boston), but can also draw pax from PVD and further south. Plus, they are well recognized in the region too due to BOS. What will likely happen is what took place in HPN. While FL had been there for about a year, B6 entered and immediately took traffic from them as B6 is well known in the area. Some version of this will likely happen for PVD, at least for Southwest's Florida flights.
By flying to PVD, B6 can not only draw passengers from its existing cache area (south of Boston), but can also draw pax from PVD and further south. Plus, they are well recognized in the region too due to BOS. What will likely happen is what took place in HPN. While FL had been there for about a year, B6 entered and immediately took traffic from them as B6 is well known in the area. Some version of this will likely happen for PVD, at least for Southwest's Florida flights.