Jet Blue may be coming to Long Island
If Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has his way, Jet Blue will join Southwest Airlines at Long Island's MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
About 50 miles east of New York City and 30 miles west of West Hampton, Sen. Schumer said MacArthur should be chosen for Jet Blue's planned 2013 expansion in the Northeast because it would be "traffic free and hassle free" to passengers.
He made the pitch to Jet Blue behind the backdrop of the airport, saying it could "grow its business into a region that is bigger than 19 states" and the airport wouldn't need to renovate or add terminals to handle Jet Blue.
Although Sen. Schumer says the Long Island customer base will be pleased to have an additional airport service their needs, not all locals are happy about the prospect of another major airline coming to the suburbs. One nearby resident complained to the local news about, "the noise—the planes all day long, night and day."
The airport is 1.5 miles away from (and provides a shuttle to) the Ronkonkoma Station on the Long Island Railroad, which has train service to New York City that takes up to one hour and 25 minutes. The airport provides a shuttle/train package to New York City for $16.50 for an adult one-way ticket. If you wanted to go to the Hamptons, you'd have to switch trains, get a taxi, or rent a car—but you'd still be closer to New York's famous beachfront than if you flew into JFK or LaGuardia.
Would you fly into Long Island? Or would you rather see Jet Blue expand somewhere else in the Northeast?
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