JetBlue Founder David Neeleman Selects Salt Lake City as Headquarters for New Airline
America’s newest and perhaps most innovative airline does not yet have a name, or any airplanes. But it now has a headquarters.
David Neeleman’s startup will be based in Salt Lake City, where it plans to spend a capital investment of $3.2 million and create nearly 400 jobs over the next five years, according to local authorities. In return, the state offered tax rebates worth as much as about $1.1 million over five years.
“There’s a super strong technology base, and lower cost of living than California and some of the coastal areas,” Lukas Johnson, the airline’s chief commericial said in an interview. “We want to focus more on the technology aspect of the transportation side, and it makes a lot of sense. The tech sector is booming out here.”
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Tesla’s announcement earlier this month that it will build its first European factory near Berlin will draw further companies from the electric mobility and energy storage sectors into Germany, a state premier told newspaper Die Welt.
“They are already on their way. I’m hearing there are further inquiries with the communities and the regional business development programme. Tesla will cause other companies to follow,” said Dietmar Woidke, premier of the eastern German state of Brandenburg that surrounds Berlin.
He said Brandenburg was already in talks with other companies, declining to identify them due to confidentiality agreements. “I expect that we can announce it before Christmas,” Woidke said.
Tesla’s move is a big boost for Germany as a centre for manufacturing after BMW and Daimler in recent years chose to build new factories in Hungary, and after its auto industry was hit hard by Volkswagen’s admission in 2015 that it cheated U.S. diesel emissions tests.
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Brandenburg’s PM Woidke speaks speaks to the media on Tesla European factory in Potsdam
New York-JFK and Boston Service Begins at Bush Intercontinental October 27, 2019
Airline to Introduce Nonstop Service Between New York-JFK and San José, Costa Rica
JetBlue (JBLU) today announced that the airline’s operations in Houston will relocate from William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) later this year. The final day of flying at Hobby Airport will be October 26, 2019 and the first day of flying at Bush Intercontinental will be October 27, 2019. JetBlue plans to operate from Bush Intercontinental’s Terminal A.
Recognizing the needs of today’s tech-savvy travelers, Bush Intercontinental is committed to providing customer-focused cutting-edge technology, like interactive visitor kiosks and fast, free Wi-Fi and plenty of outlets and charging stations through the terminal. Bush Intercontinental also features a variety of local food favorites like The Breakfast Club, Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar and The Hubcap Grill, all found in Terminal A.
JetBlue regularly evaluates network performance, demand and customer feedback to strengthen its focus city strategy. The move to Bush Intercontinental is aimed at strengthening JetBlue’s relevance in New York and Boston, while also growing the carrier’s customer base in Houston where travelers love the airline’s award-winning service and competitive fares to and from the Northeast.
Customers currently booked on JetBlue flights to and from Hobby Airport on or after October 27, 2019 will be automatically rebooked on flights to and from Bush Intercontinental. JetBlue Customer Support will contact travelers in the coming days to confirm the update to their reservations. Customers who wish to do so may also request a full refund on flights scheduled after the transition date.
Connecting Costa Rica with New York-JFK
JetBlue today also announced it will introduce new nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and San José, Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) beginning November 1, 2019 (a). Service will operate three times weekly on Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
San José – Costa Rica’s capital and largest city – is home to more than 300,000 people and boasts museums, parks, cultural spots, as well as a variety of bars and restaurants. It also serves as a central jumping off point for travelers interested in hiking, visiting rain forests or exploring national parks.
New York-JFK service in San José will complement JetBlue’s daily service between Costa Rica’s capital and the airlines’ focus cities in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Additionally, JetBlue also offers nonstop service, including seasonal Mint flights, to Liberia, Costa Rica from the airline’s home at New York-JFK. JetBlue first began serving Costa Rica with San José service more than a decade ago in March 2009.
JetBlue will operate both Houston and San José flights using its Airbus A320 aircraft offering the airline’s award-winning service featuring the most legroom in coach (a); free Fly-Fi, the fastest broadband internet in the sky (b); complimentary and unlimited name-brand snacks and soft drinks; free, live DIRECTV® programming and 100+ channels of SiriusXM® radio at every seat.
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 42 million customers a year to 100+ cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of more than 1,000 daily flights. For more information, please visit jetblue.com.
