JetBlue Marks Return to Pre-Hurricane Levels of Service as It Celebrates 16 Years in ‘La Isla Del Encanto’
June 15 2018 - 2:22PM
Business Wire
JetBlue operating up to 48 flights per day from
the island to 13 cities during summer peak season
Puerto Rico Tourism Company and JetBlue mark
occasion by welcoming visitors with cultural arrival celebration at
San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
JetBlue welcomes 50 new crewmembers to its team
in Puerto Rico
JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU), Puerto Rico’s largest airline, marked the
return of its full flight schedule on the island after last year’s
hurricanes by celebrating with customers, crewmembers and partners
today at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU).
JetBlue’s return of capacity, which coincides with its 16th
anniversary of service in San Juan, came six months earlier than
originally planned, given the improved demand for travel to Puerto
Rico as the island continues to recover from Hurricane Maria and
welcomes new visitors.
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JetBlue marked the return of its full
flight schedule to Puerto Rico by celebrating with customers and
crewmembers at San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
(SJU). (Photo: Business Wire)
To support the increase in service, JetBlue has hired 50 new
crewmembers for its San Juan operation, with the new crewmembers
joining the airline just in time for the summer peak season. Along
with JetBlue’s nearly 500 crewmembers based in Puerto Rico, they
will support JetBlue’s up to 48 daily flights between Puerto Rico
and 13 cities in the U.S. and the Caribbean (a).
In the days after Hurricane Maria made landfall, JetBlue
introduced the 100x35JetBlue initiative, with 35 ways and 100 days
- and beyond - of caring for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The
initiatives provided immediate first needs for the community, while
also focusing on long-term, productive partnerships with key
entities, such as the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), to
encourage the return of tourism, contribute to the local economy,
and invest in the island’s future. JetBlue has gradually increased
its flights as demand has grown from 'visiting friends and
relatives customers' who travel back and forth to the island.
JetBlue has also been working with PRTC to encourage visitors to
return to Puerto Rico and to offer world-class hospitality both in
the air and on the ground through JetBlue’s hospitality training
for industry workers.
“Our return to our pre-hurricane flight count is a testament to
the incredible resilience of Puerto Rico and our crewmembers who
kept flights operating during a very difficult period,” said Dave
Clark, vice president sales and revenue management for JetBlue. “We
are honored to be the airline that brings Puerto Rican families
together and transports tourists to the beautiful beaches and
attractions of this great region. We will continue to partner with
the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to bring back tourism to this
beautiful island.”
“The best way to celebrate JetBlue's 16th anniversary on the
Island is precisely by receiving the passengers that mark the total
stabilization of service of Puerto Rico’s main airline. The fact
that JetBlue has been able to match seat capacity levels to
pre-hurricane figures 6 months earlier than expected, shows that
demand has increased and that we are on track for a historic
recovery. Likewise, the creation of 50 new jobs as a result of the
increase in operations is a testament to the trust and commitment
that JetBlue has with Puerto Rico,” said Carla G. Campos, executive
director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. “Governor Ricardo
Rosselló's trust in the Tourism Company has strengthened our
relations with industry partners, and led us on the path to
recovery in the private sector. Our alliance with JetBlue is
precisely what has led us to obtain these important
achievements."
Investing in Puerto Rico’s Future
JetBlue’s long-term 100x35JetBlue initiatives continue within
the community, most recently with an announcement this week that as
part of its 16th anniversary celebration of service to Puerto Rico,
the JetBlue Foundation has pledged $100,000 worth of grants to STEM
education programs on the island. Grants from the JetBlue
Foundation will help further the airline’s efforts to invest in the
island’s future and place aviation fields top-of-mind as career
choices for students. The JetBlue Foundation will award $100,000 to
qualified schools and organizations to fuel learning in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The JetBlue
Foundation is currently accepting letters of inquiry for grants
through June 29, 2018. To help other STEM and aviation-focused
organizations navigate the application process, Inter American
University of Puerto Rico, a previous JetBlue Foundation grant
recipient, will offer a grant writing workshop. The school will
share best practices that helped them receive a grant in 2016 for
its “Girls in Aviation” program which aims to spark an interest in
STEM for girls ages 10-17. The workshop will take place on June 22
at the Inter American School of Law in Hato Rey. Guests can RSVP at
askjbfoundation@jetblue.com. RSVPs are required for attendance. For
grant criteria or to submit a letter of inquiry, interested
organizations can visit jetbluefoundation.org/grants. Grant
recipients will be announced in fall 2018.
In addition, this summer the JetBlue Foundation and the
Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) will host
their second annual Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy
initiative in San Juan, introducing students ages 14 to 18 to
careers in aviation.
JetBlue’s hurricane recovery efforts also include projects aimed
at restoring the island’s natural resources and beauty. JetBlue’s
recent “Green Up” campaign included two Puerto Rico-based
conservation organizations customers could vote to select to
receive “Green Up” grants, with Centro de Restauración: Vida Marina
Center for Coastal Restoration and Conservation at the University
of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla having been chosen to receive a $15,000
grant.
JetBlue’s crewmembers in San Juan volunteered more than 1,000
hours in the local community during 2017 and won the JetBlue “Blue
City of the Year” Award. As winners of this honor, the team will
get to donate $10,000 to their favorite charity.
JetBlue continues to raise awareness for Puerto Rico to ensure a
continued focus on the island’s different needs. For more
information and updates on JetBlue’s 100x35JetBlue initiative, and
ways to assist in Puerto Rico’s continued recovery, visit
www.jetblue.com/100x35. To book flights to Puerto Rico, please
visit jetblue.com or call 1-800-JETBLUE.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading
carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los
Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries
more than 40 million customers a year to 102 cities in the
U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average
of 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit
jetblue.com.
(a) Schedules subject to change. Flight schedule varies by day
of week through mid-August.
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