JetBlue may leave Forest Hills headquarters

News added by Muhammad Kashif under World Travel News

JetBlue Airways Corp., which bills itself as New York’s "hometown airline" and has called Forest Hills its headquarters since it began operations more than a decade ago, may fly the coop - as in locating corporate offices elsewhere, possibly outside the metro area.

The low-cost carrier acknowledged it is "investigating possible new locations within the New York metropolitan area, as well as sites outside of New York."

At risk in the New York area are about 800 jobs at JetBlue, which said its lease at a building off Queens Boulevard expires in 2012. "We are only in the preliminary phase at this time," the company said.

Bryan Baldwin, a JetBlue spokesman, said Wednesday the airline is unable to provide details about exactly where it might be looking for new headquarters space or even when a decision regarding a move might be made.

Only seven months ago JetBlue opened its $750-million Terminal 5 at Kennedy Airport, a 635,000-square-foot facility connected to Kennedy’s landmark TWA gull-wing terminal. The terminal is to have 26 gates and be capable of handling 250 flights a day.

JetBlue, the largest operator at Kennedy Airport, said it will "remain New York’s hometown airline with our largest base of operations" at Terminal 5.

JetBlue’s announcement came as a surprise at Queens Borough Hall. "We heard speculation, but we were not able to pin it down," said Dan Andrews, a spokesman for borough president Helen Marshall, who added that Queens officials are doing everything possible to keep JetBlue. Marshall has contacted the city’s deputy mayor for economic development, Robert Leibler, to put together a task force that would come up with "a comprehensive program of incentives" to retain JetBlue.

"It’s very important to us, especially during these difficult economic times, that JetBlue stay here in Queens," Andrews said.

Officials at City Hall did not return a call seeking comment.

Robert W. Mann, an independent airline analyst and consultant in Port Washington, said Orlando, Fla., might be a possibility for JetBlue. The airline has a crew training center there, and may expand there as well.

Heather Allebaugh, a spokeswoman for Orlando, said the city council is considering approving $220,000 in incentives over five years to help establish a maintenance, remodel and overhaul operation at Orlando International Airport that would be used by JetBlue and Lufthansa. The German airline holds a 19 percent stake in JetBlue. Allebaugh said the expansion would create 200 new jobs at the Orlando airport.

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