NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) today promoted Captain Mike Barger to Vice President of JetBlue University, from Director, JetBlue University.
JetBlue University is responsible for the orientation and training of all employees at JetBlue Airways. Under Mike's leadership, JetBlue University has developed a number of innovative programs that leverage today's technology to continuously and cost-effectively distribute learning across the organization. JetBlue University has also created a leadership development program unique to the aviation industry that provides an exceptional set of tools for all JetBlue leaders.
Captain Barger joined JetBlue as part of the company's original start-up team in 1999. Captain Barger was instrumental in the testing phase and final selection of the company's launch aircraft, the Airbus A320, as well as piloting JetBlue's first aircraft delivery from Toulouse, France, to New York's JFK International Airport.
"Mike has been an integral member of the JetBlue family from our early days," said Captain Al Spain, JetBlue's Senior Vice President of Operations. "We created the concept of JetBlue University more than two years ago, and through Mike's leadership a group of decentralized training functions has come together to form a single learning organization."
Prior to joining JetBlue, Captain Barger was Assistant Operations and Training Officer with a Naval Strike Fighter Squadron in Jacksonville, FL. Barger also served as a Pilot Training Officer for three years at the Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as TOPGUN.
Captain Barger earned his degree in Economics and Psychology from the University of Michigan.
JetBlue is a low-fare, low-cost passenger airline, which provides high-quality customer service. JetBlue operates a fleet of 55 new Airbus A320 aircraft and plans to add another 14 A320s to its fleet in 2004. The airline has on order 100 EMBRAER 190 aircraft with options for an additional 100 with deliveries scheduled to begin in mid 2005. All JetBlue aircraft feature roomy all-leather seats each equipped with free live satellite television, offering up to 24 channels of DIRECTV(r) Programming at every seat (see note). JetBlue has been named "Best Domestic Airline" for the last two years by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
Based out of New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, JetBlue currently operates 214 flights a day and serves 22 destinations in 11 states and Puerto Rico and plans to commence daily nonstop service on March 3 between New York's JFK and Sacramento, CA. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and a Saturday night stay is never required. For more information, schedules and fares, please visit www.jetblue.com or call JetBlue reservations at 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583). This press release, as well as past press releases, can be found on www.jetblue.com.
Note: DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights between New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature which represent our management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors, including without limitation, potential hostilities in the Middle East or other regions, our ability to implement our growth strategy and our dependence on the New York market, our fixed obligations and our limited operating history, seasonal fluctuations in our operating results, increases in maintenance costs, fuel prices and interest rates, our competitive environment, our reliance on sole suppliers, government regulation, our failure to properly integrate LiveTV or enforce its patents, our ability to hire qualified personnel, the loss of key personnel and potential problems with our workforce including work stoppages, and continuing changes in the airline industry following the September 11th terrorist attacks and the increased risk of future attacks, the potential risks with the delivery, placing into service and integration into our operations of the EMBRAER 190 aircraft as well as the potential liability relating to our handling of customer data. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
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