jetBlue growth?

[charterpuke]

How many pilots are at jetBlue right now? How many aircraft do they have right now? How many more aircraft are going to be added to the fleet for the remainder of 2002? What about 2003?

 

[side stick-n]

272 pilots, 22 aircraft 13 more in 2002, 14 in 2003, 13 in 2004, 12 in 2005.

 

[charterpuke]

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[YeOldeProp]

These JetBlue folks sound like they've got the savvy and the common sense rolled up into one big happy group of flyers right now. Really nice to hear. As the growth continues, where do they head to next? Is Dulles the next domicile to work out of? Or will all the new planes/crews/maintainers squeeze into the New York slots? Will they stay east coast for a while and then spread west? Inquiring (enquiring?) minds want to know. Interested to hear "future of JetBlue" as guessed by the gang on this forum...

Good luck to all who've hooked up with JetBlue and those still trying...

 

[EvilJim]

I'm the Caboose

I am actually the most junior pilot on the list at 289. Another class of 16 starts next week and then expecting 26 in April and 26 in May. They wanted to have more in March, but Airbus couldn't cough up the training slots.

As for IAD, we will probably be adding flights, but no plans as a domicile. Lots of rumors for LGB to be the next base and then lots of expansion out west. I don't see it until late summer at the earliest with expansion being slow and controlled over the next several years. Definitely looking at the longer transcon flights for expansion. Takeoff fees, especially out of JFK, have risen tremendously since 911 and the long haul makes more money. Some rumors about FLL/WPI being a combined base at some future time, but no official plans.

Hope this helps,

Evil Jim

 

[charterpuke]

How junior or senior do you jetBlue guys think Long Beach will be?

 

[side stick-n]

First for YeOldeProp,

Yours are the questions that most other airlines in the US want to know as well. Additional cities are a well kept secret even from us. This is for competitive reasons of course. If you look at our current route structure, you will see that we are expanding nation wide. JFK-SJU, IAD-OAK, IAD-LGB, additional frequency to both LGB and OAK from JFK. Check out our web site in the "learn more" section to see what the jetBlue vision is.

Sorry charterpuke, I don't know the ratio of pilots commuting from out west. There are some but I don't think a lot. Therefore, I would expect/guess LGB to be fairly junior.

 

[Kjet]

With the training center in MIA being saturated is there any talk of JB opening another training center at HQ in NY or with maybe their own sims or perhaps buying sim time from other airlines?

 

[side stick-n]

Kjet,

I haven't heard any mention of that prospect. Good question though.

 

[JayDub]

Yes it has been mentioned. Right now we get training included with each new a/c purchase, so it makes sense to stay put for a while. However, they are keeping eye on the future as well. I had heard BUF for a new training center, but now they are only looking at NYC area. It saves on hotel and rental car, etc. costs.