Letter to Robin Hayes, CEO of Jetblue Airways - Schumer urges airlines to consider brand new route from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to San Francisco; senator says new Jetblue or United route would link Buffalo's expanding tech sector with Silicon Valley, promote economic growth & create good-paying jobs

Letter

Dear Mr. Hayes:

I write to you today regarding the efforts for the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) to secure direct, non-stop air service to the San Francisco Bay Area. I ask that your company engage with partners in the Buffalo region to explore this opportunity for its potential to benefit both JetBlue and the airport.

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority are pursuing the development of non-stop air service from BUF to the San Francisco Bay Area. This service will not only benefit current customers traveling to and from this California region but will also serve the growing technology sector which has operations in Buffalo and a need for reliable and direct service to the Bay Area.

In addition, the volume of Canadian customers choosing to fly out of BUF rather than Toronto for their US-bound final destinations has only continued to grow in the past few years. As you know, JetBlue has been extremely successful in attracting Canadians to use BUF for non-stop BUF-LAX flights; since service began on June 16, 2016, JetBlue's market share of the traffic between these airports grew 725%. Toronto Pearson Airport is the only Southern Ontario airport with non-stop service to the Bay Area; however, it has high fares and taxes. JetBlue's significant presence in both the Buffalo and San Francisco areas and its market brand power would be an asset to maximize an opportunity for non-stop service from Buffalo.

I ask that the appropriate members of your staff be in touch with us to facilitate an introduction with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. As the CEO of JetBlue, you know your company best, but I believe this presents a beneficial opportunity for both the Buffalo airport and for JetBlue. Should you come to the same conclusion, know that I stand ready to help JetBlue in any way that I can, as I have in the past. I thank you and JetBlue Airways for your continued partnership with my office.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter. Please do not hesitate to follow-up with me or my staff.

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