NEW YORK, March 7, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) today announces Russell G. (Russ) Chew has agreed to join JetBlue as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective March 19. Mr. Chew joins JetBlue after four years with the Federal Aviation Administration as Chief Operating Officer, and 17 years with American Airlines as Managing Director of its System Operations Center.
"We are very pleased to have Russ join our team," said David Neeleman, JetBlue's Founder and CEO. "Russ brings a wealth of industry and government experience that will help lead JetBlue into a new era of customer service, comfort and operational reliability. Our leadership team is strengthened, and will better serve JetBlue's 11,000 crewmembers as we continue to grow our airline."
Mr. Chew will be responsible for the airline's safe and reliable operations of 550 daily flights to 50 cities in six countries, leading JetBlue's Airports, Operational Planning, System Operations Center, Flight Operations, Technical Operations, Inflight Service, and Safety departments.
"JetBlue truly is a remarkable customer service company, with an impressive track record of earning customers' loyalty through friendly service and low fares," Mr. Chew said. "I look forward to meeting the JetBlue crewmembers who made this success possible, and serving their needs so that they may continue to provide the best service to our customers."
Mr. Chew will report to Dave Barger, JetBlue's President. "We are excited to have Russ join JetBlue's Executive Leadership team, with his experience managing the system operations center for the world's largest airline, and also overseeing the world's most heavily traveled air system as COO of the FAA," Mr. Barger said. "As our airline grows into new markets, it is even more important to keep one eye on the future while making sure today's customers and our crewmembers are well served with reliable and comfortable flights, the foundation of the JetBlue Experience."
Mr. Chew served as Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Aviation Administration from 2003 until February of this year, after 17 years with American Airlines in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility, including Managing Director of the world's largest airline's System Operations Center and Strategic Operations Planning. A native of Los Angeles, California, Chew attended Stanford University for his undergraduate studies and earned his doctoral degree at the University of Southern California.
JetBlue Airways is focused on creating a new airline category -- an airline that offers value, service and style. Based in New York City, and now in its eighth year, the low-cost carrier currently serves 50 destinations with more than 550 flights daily. JetBlue has the most legroom in coach (a) and is America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful compensation for customers inconvenienced by flight delays or cancellations (b). In addition to its signature seatback personal television service (c), the low-fare, high-value airline offers customers generous brand name snacks and beverages, including freshly brewed Dunkin' Donuts(r) coffee, and delicious wines selected by the airline's Low Fare Sommelier, Josh Wesson from Best Cellars(r). With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.
The JetBlue logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=795
(a) JetBlue has the most legroom in coach, based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines.
(b) For full details of JetBlue's Customer Bill of Rights, visit www.jetblue.com/promise.
(c) DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable FOX InFlight(tm) is offered complimentary on these routes. FOX InFlight(tm) is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. JetBlue's in-flight entertainment is powered by LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue.
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, our extremely competitive industry; increases in fuel prices, maintenance costs and interest rates; our ability to implement our growth strategy, including the ability to operate reliably the EMBRAER 190 aircraft; our significant fixed obligations; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and maintain our culture as we grow; our reliance on high daily aircraft utilization; our dependence on the New York metropolitan market; our reliance on automated systems and technology; our being subject to potential unionization; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers; changes in or additional government regulation; changes in our industry due to other airlines' financial condition; and external geopolitical events and conditions. Further 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 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.