JetBlue, New York’s Hometown Airline®, announced plans to double down on its commitment to New York by maintaining its headquarters in the city and advancing plans to expand its flagship terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). These initiatives further strengthen JetBlue’s presence in New York, where it has already announced plans to substantially increase flying and bring more low fares and more jobs to JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark as part of its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines.

JetBlue Keeps Its Flag Firmly Planted in New York City

After an in-depth review and competitive bid process, JetBlue today announced its intention to keep its headquarters in New York City when its current office lease expires in 2023. The decision comes as the airline industry is recovering from the financial impact of the pandemic, which has also shifted how people will work in office environments in the future.

JetBlue plans to stay at its current home in the Brewster Building at 27-01 Queens Plaza North in Long Island City, where the company has been based since 2012 and is home to its iconic rooftop sign. JetBlue intends to negotiate and execute a lease over the next few months and then re-design its office space to be responsive to rapidly evolving workplace trends that have accelerated during the pandemic.

The Brewster Building was built in 1911 and is where the Brewster Aeronautical Company manufactured the Brewster F2A (a.k.a. The Brewster Buffalo), the first monoplane fighter airplane used by the U.S. Navy in World War II.

Orlando is home to JetBlue’s training facility and a number of corporate support functions. JetBlue subsidiary JetBlue Travel Products is based in Fort Lauderdale. JetBlue is one of the leading carriers in both markets.

A World Class Terminal 6 Begins to Take Shape

In addition to its corporate presence, the airline continues to further plans to bring more air service to New Yorkers across the region’s three airports. Its flagship Terminal 5 at JFK has been celebrated for its customer-friendly design and facilities, and Governor Cuomo today announced that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) will approve plans to develop a world-class terminal on the Terminals 6 and 7 sites.

The new Terminal 6 project will seamlessly integrate with Terminal 5, building on JetBlue’s award-winning customer experience while expanding the airline’s footprint farther into the north side of the airport. It helps secure JetBlue’s long-term future at JFK with opportunities for new gates starting in 2025, and offers partner airlines the ability to co-locate with JetBlue to improve connectivity for customers.

The Terminal 6 project will be developed and operated by JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), a private consortium comprised of JetBlue; Vantage Airport Group, an industry leading investor, developer and manager of award-winning global airport projects, including as a member of the consortium that built LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B; American Triple I (ATI), a 100% minority- and woman-owned investor, owner, developer, and manager of infrastructure assets and infrastructure focused companies that seek to spur economic growth and development in markets across the U.S.; and RXR Realty, a leading New York-based real estate operating and development company.

The $3.9 billion, 1.2 million square foot terminal is set to replace aging existing facilities, and will be designed to accommodate both wide-body gates and narrow-body gates, as well as bright and airy check-in halls and arrival spaces designed to enhance the customer experience. Customers will enjoy more than 100,000 square feet of commercial dining and retail amenities, lounges, and recreational spaces. The new terminal will also include critical infrastructure improvements to the airport’s roadways, optimizing traffic flow and transportation access at the airport, and incorporate the latest advances in both sustainability and security.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the development of Terminal 6 is expected to result in over 4,000 direct jobs (both on-site and off-site) and direct payroll wages of $1.9 billion. The total economic activity impact from the project amounts to nearly $2.8 billion in total wages and $6.3 billion in total economic activity.

JetBlue will also expand its footprint at LaGuardia Airport beyond its current space at the historic Marine Air Terminal and partially move into the airport’s recently opened and state-of-the-art Terminal B later this year with plans to move completely in 2022. At Newark, JetBlue will also move, relocating to the new Terminal A in 2022.

JetBlue Loves New York

JetBlue plans to add more than 1,800 jobs at New York City airports thanks to new flights and destinations it is adding as a result of its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines. JetBlue plans to nearly triple its flights at LaGuardia and substantially increase flying at JFK and Newark. With this planned growth, JetBlue will continue to work with New York state to market the airline as New York’s Hometown Airline® and bring visibility for the high-quality, low-fare air service that it offers at eight airports across the Empire State.

As part of this commitment to work together, JetBlue and the state are planning to extend their joint branding agreement of the world-recognized I LOVE NY logo, an unprecedented partnership with the State's iconic brand, and collaborate on showcasing the Empire State experience at locations within the airline’s JFK terminal. In partnership with New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), JetBlue and NYC will partner to continue advancing shared priorities related to a diverse and inclusive workplace, including hiring and workforce development, and climate change.