Alliance for Aviation Across America hits JetBlue ads

The Alliance for Aviation Across America launched a print ad on March 20, responding to JetBlue advertisements that ridicule business executives who use business aviation.

The Alliance ads point out that JetBlue can’t serve business leaders and rural America when it doesn’t operate in most of America, contradicting the airline’s contention that traveling on JetBlue is a better option than general aviation. The Alliance ad highlights JetBlue’s glaring omission: that the airline serves only 44 big city airports, mostly on the East and West coasts. General aviation, by contrast, serves 5,000 communities around the country.

“JetBlue does not seem to realize that small and medium size businesses that rely on general aviation every day are the backbone of America’s economy,” said Selena Shilad, spokesperson for the Alliance. “Until JetBlue decides to send its flights to places like Hot Springs, Arkansas and Gallup, New Mexico, general aviation will remain the lifeline to those communities and countless others all across America.”

In addition to serving as a vital mode of transportation for small and medium sized businesses, general aviation provides more than 1.2 million jobs in a wide range of industries, contributes $600 billion to the US economy annually, and serves rural communities vitally in times of medical crisis and natural disasters, the Alliance ads point out.

The Alliance for Aviation Across America (AAAA) is a diverse coalition of more than 4,000 individuals and businesses, local airports, civic organizations representing rural and agriculture voices, city, county and state officials, economic development entities, non-profit organizations, small and mid-size businesses and others dedicated to protecting small and rural communities.

To see the Alliance’s ad: http://www.aviationacrossamerica.org/uploads/File/images/dearjb.jpg