JetBlue CEO plans tour of MacArthur Airport

The head of JetBlue plans to tour Long Island MacArthur Airport in two weeks with Sen. Charles Schumer, who is trying to seal the deal and deliver the budget carrier's service to Long Island.

JetBlue officials said Thursday the Jan. 27 visit by chief executive Dave Barger does not mean service out of MacArthur is imminent, but the tour is part of the airline's "evaluation process."

Carrier officials said in June they were considering MacArthur as it seeks to open a new stop in the Northeast in 2013.

Schumer -- who has aggressively lobbied JetBlue to set up on Long Island -- said Thursday that he met with Barger last week and would provide him with a "personal tour" of the facility to press the case that MacArthur has the lucrative market the Forest Hills-based airline seeks.

"Seeing is believing -- I want him to see what a good airport it is. . . . He's a busy guy running a major company, and he wouldn't be coming unless they're serious," said Schumer (D-N.Y.).

"There are no guarantees, but I asked him, 'Don't do it for show,' " he added.

The Ronkonkoma airport has courted the airline for three years. The effort ratcheted up after JetBlue executives invited airport Commissioner Teresa Rizzuto at an industry conference in June to make a case for why it should set up here.

The effort has been backed by key business groups. In December, both Suffolk County Treasurer Angie Carpenter and Long Island Association president Kevin Law wrote separate letters to Barger making the case for MacArthur.

"I am happy that we are building on the initial discussions, and I look forward to the opportunity to further demonstrate how JetBlue can be successful at MacArthur," Rizzuto said Thursday.

Islip Supervisor Tom Croci thanked Schumer for his assistance in helping revitalize the town-owned airport.

"Key among airlines' concerns as they consider MacArthur is the kind of partner they will have in the leadership of the town and in this case, I'm sure JetBlue will find this administration ready and willing to be a good and trusted partner," Croci said.

One of JetBlue's targeted growth areas is the Caribbean, a destination MacArthur has been trying to secure for years. The carrier flies to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Kennedy Airport, with connections to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic -- a route eyed by MacArthur supporters.

Port Washington-based aviation analyst Robert Mann said more service to Florida is a good, year-round possibility for JetBlue that the Long Island market could support. Southwest, the airport's mainstay, currently flies direct from MacArthur to Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

Mann viewed Barger's visit as a hopeful sign. "Having the CEO visit is a plus -- it's more of a commitment than the marketing manager showing up to kick the tires," he said.