New York's Senator
CHARLES E. SCHUMER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 23, 2000

SCHUMER WELCOMES JETBLUE TO ROCHESTER

Senator Declares Era of Sky-High Air Fares Over

Schumer Fulfills Promise to Make Lower Fares, More Frequent Service a Reality for Rochester

I stand here like a proud uncle to witness the birth of a great new airline and a great new opportunity for Rochester and all of Western New York. After years of suffering with some of the highest airfares in the country, we can now say conclusively that the era of sky high airfares in Rochester is over.

And it's not just the end of high airfares. Today we welcome the best, the newest, the most advanced, and the most affordable service in the nation. In terms of air service, Rochester has gone from worst to first.

Starting today, Rochester can join Buffalo in boasting a top of the line air carrier befitting a city of its size and importance. And to the other airlines who have had a monopolistic grip on Rochester for so long, I have 2 words of friendly advice -- get ready. The elixir of free market competition has arrived at the Greater Rochester International Airport. Rochester air travelers will no longer feel the cold sting of monopoly power.

I want to salute David Neeleman for recognizing a great business opportunity, for recognizing that Upstate has been poorly served by the stodgy air carriers that have charged exorbitant fares, and for filling the niche with a top quality service that will really make a difference here. I also want to thank David for keeping his word and bringing JetBlue to its second Upstate destination.

And I also want to salute the people in this room. This is an example of what we can accomplish if we work together - Democrats and Republicans; upstate and downstate; public sector and private sector -- for a common goal that benefits all New Yorkers.

This will save the typical Rochester family who struggles to pay for one vacation a year several hundred dollars. That's real money for most people.

But more importantly, I believe we are turning a page for Rochester's economy. When I talked to business leaders about coming to Rochester, they all asked about the air service. Now we have an answer. JetBlue not only means lower fares and better service, but also more and better jobs. With JetBlue, now we have better than a fighting chance. Now we can compete with Baltimore, Cleveland, and Charlotte for growing businesses.

And I want to say to families and businesses in Syracuse that your turn is not far behind. JetBlue is coming to your city next.

On a personal note, this is the culmination of more than one year of close work with JetBlue and David Neeleman. I met David Neeleman for breakfast a few weeks after my election after I had campaigned on bringing lower fares for upstate. After the breakfast, I said there is a God in heaven because this is the man who can get it done.

Over the last two years, I have flown to Rochester and Upstate on more than a few occasions. Most of those times I have paid far too much for a tiny, bumpy propellor plane flight where I was lucky to get a bag of peanuts. From my first flight to my last, I believed that if the upstate economy was to reach its potential we needed modern, affordable air service.

David and I talked about the potential of upstate and he promised me that if I was able to obtain landing slots at JFK, JetBlue would serve at least 3 upstate cities with discount fares. Together we worked with the FAA to obtain landing slots at JFK. We worked with Congressman Meeks to solve the noise problem for his Queens constituents. We worked with the entire delegation to win slots. We worked with the governor, the mayors of upstate and downstate cities and we worked and worked and worked.

We are here today, not only because David Neeleman is a man of his word, but because he believes in Rochester and believes in Western New York. So do I and so do we all.

I love visiting Rochester. Now I will love flying to Rochester. And I will be flying JetBlue to Rochester plenty of times this year.

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