{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=135", "Vermont Delegation Demands Answers from JetBlue CEO on Recent Decision to Terminate Service from Burlington Airport to JFK", "2023-10-30", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "\u201cWe urge you not to leave rural America behind,\u201d wrote Sanders, Welch, and Balint\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, the Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) urged JetBlue Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robin Hayes to reinstate service between the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (Leahy BTV) and New York\u2019s JFK International Airport, which accounts for 10% of all passengers flying into Burlington monthly, and to compensate all passengers impacted by JetBlue\u2019s recently announced service termination.\n\n\u201cYour decision to abruptly terminate service at Leahy BTV has the potential to harm businesses in our state and make travel for constituents between Vermont and New York significantly more difficult. The news was particularly difficult to receive on the same day your corporation announced an expansion of your transatlantic service at JFK,\u201d wrote the Delegation.\n\n\u201cThis decision surprised us and many in Vermont. With advance notice, our offices may have been able to work with you and federal authorities to help prevent the need for this decision.\u201d the Delegation continued. \u201c...We urge you not to leave rural America behind by abandoning this essential service in places like Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport and remain willing to work with you to help address some of the circumstances that led to your decision.\u201d\n\nJetBlue has flown in and out of Burlington for more than two decades. On average, the Leahy BTV-JFK route accounts for 10% of all passengers flying into Burlington on a monthly basis.\n\nJetBlue\u2019s service change is scheduled to begin January 4, 2024.\n\nThe letter from the Delegation to JetBlue\u2019s CEO Robin Hayes read here and below:\n\nDear Mr. Hayes,\n\nWe write to express our disappointment with JetBlue\u2019s recent decision to terminate service between Burlington, Vermont, at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (Leahy BTV) and New York City, New York, at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport (JFK) starting January 4, 2024, and to request additional information regarding the announcement. We strongly urge you to consider reinstating service between Burlington and JFK and, in the event you do not reinstate service, to compensate all passengers impacted by this service termination.\n\nJetBlue has flown in and out of Burlington for more than two decades. On average, the Leahy BTV-JFK route accounts for 10% of all passengers flying into Burlington on a monthly basis. Your decision to abruptly terminate service at Leahy BTV has the potential to harm businesses in our state and make travel for constituents between Vermont and New York significantly more difficult. The news was particularly difficult to receive on the same day your corporation announced an expansion of your transatlantic service at JFK.\n\nThis decision surprised us and many in Vermont. With advance notice, our offices may have been able to work with you and federal authorities to help prevent the need for this decision. We strongly urge you to:\n\nReinstate Service to Leahy BTV from JFK. JetBlue and Leahy BTV have had a successful business relationship that has spanned over two decades. We ask that you consider reinstating the route.\n\nImmediately Reimburse All Impacted Passengers. Many U.S. passengers buy their flights well in advance to ensure the cheapest prices possible. Any customer whose flight was impacted by this decision should be reimbursed immediately, assuming you do not reverse your decision to terminate service.\n\nTo provide further clarity, we ask for a staff briefing no later than November 6, 2023, and provide written answers to the following questions ahead of time:\n\nWhy did JetBlue decide to terminate service between Leahy BTV and JFK? What alternatives, if any, did JetBlue consider before making its decision, and why were those alternatives not pursued as an interim step?\n\nShould JetBlue decide to reinstate service to Leahy BTV, what steps would the airline need to take and how long would the reinstatement process take?\n\nWhat steps has JetBlue taken to date to compensate and otherwise support impacted passengers? How many passengers have had or will have flights canceled as a result of this decision?\n\nWhat additional steps does JetBlue plan to take to ensure passengers are made whole, and what is the timeline for those actions?\n\nDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, JetBlue received nearly $1 billion in emergency support in CARES Act funding. Vermonters and U.S. taxpayers stepped up to support the airline industry because we understand it is essential to connecting the world in our modern economy.\n\nWe urge you not to leave rural America behind by abandoning this essential service in places like Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport and remain willing to work with you to help address some of the circumstances that led to your decision.\n\nSincerely,\n\nSenator Bernie Sanders\n\nSenator Peter Welch\n\nRepresentative Becca Balint\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=135"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7165800780057907, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}