JetBlue says it may stop Long Beach operations=0AEmail Picture=0ARick Loomi= s / Los Angeles Times=0AJetBlue=0ACEO Dave Barger, right, at Long Beach Air= port a year ago, told an=0Aaviation blog that operating at Long Beach =E2= =80=9Chas been a huge=0Afrustration.=E2=80=9D=0AThe airline, citing lack of= progress on airport improvements, says it may move flights to LAX.=0ABy Pe= ter Pae and Dan Weikel =0AApril 2, 2009 =0AJetBlue=0AAirways, citing frustr= ation with the lack of facility improvements at=0ALong Beach Airport, said = Wednesday that it may cease operations at the=0Aairport where it began its = West Coast expansion and is now the busiest=0Acarrier.=0A=0ANo specific pla= n to leave Long Beach has been proposed,=0Abut a JetBlue spokeswoman said t= he airline could consider, among other=0Aoptions, scaling back flights or s= hifting them to other airports in the=0Aregion, including Los Angeles Inter= national Airport. =0A=0A=0A =0A =0AAds by Google=0AJetBlue Flights=0ALow fa= res to Major Destinations. Book your flight now-Happy Jetting!=0AJetBlue.co= m=0ACheap Airlines Tickets=0ABuy Cheap Airline Flight Tickets on this Site.= Save 65%, All Airlines.=0Awww.CheapOair.com/Jet-blue=0ANew York-based JetB= lue is slated to launch new transcontinental service at LAX in June.=0A=0AT= he=0Aairline has a loyal following at Long Beach Airport, from which 24 to= =0A29 JetBlue flights depart each day bound for major cities that include= =0ANew York, Washington, Boston, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The airport= =0Ais one of five major hubs for the airline and is considered its West=0AC= oast "anchor."=0A=0A"It is regrettable, and that's not our choice,"=0Asaid = Jenny Dervin, spokeswoman for the carrier. "But we have to face=0Athe facts= that we are in temporary trailers, and that's not acceptable.=0AIt doesn't= serve our customers, and it doesn't serve our brand. We want=0Ato go where= we are wanted."=0A=0ADervin confirmed comments made by JetBlue Chief=0AExe= cutive Dave Barger and first reported by the aviation blog=0ACrankyflier.co= m. In an interview with the blog, Barger said that=0Aoperating at Long Beac= h "has been a huge frustration for us" and=0Acriticized the pace of improve= ments to the airport's terminal and=0Aparking structure.=0A=0A"They need to= make good on their commitment=0Ato improve the airport experience," he sai= d. "People might have to go=0Ato LAX to use us, because we're actually want= ed there."=0A=0ADervin=0Adenied that Barger's comments were a negotiating p= loy to prod Long=0ABeach officials into addressing some of his grievances. = "It is not a=0Athreat. It's simply an expression of frustration," she said.= =0A=0AA=0ALong Beach Airport official said she was surprised by the comment= s and=0Athat the airport had not received any indication from the airline t= hat=0Ait would leave. =0A=0AJetBlue has 29 of the 41 commercial slots the a= irport can grant to airlines under the city's noise ordinance.=0A=0ARather= =0Athan cutting service, airport spokeswoman Sharon Diggs-Jackson said,=0At= he discount airline is adding another flight in May. Long Beach=0Aremains a= profitable market for JetBlue, she said. =0A=0ALong Beach=0AAirport handle= s about 3 million passengers a year, a pace that has held=0Aup despite the = recession. The airport has drawn passengers who say they=0Awant to avoid tr= affic congestion and long security lines that they=0Amight encounter at LAX= .=0A=0AJetBlue does not have any long-term=0Acommitments to Long Beach beca= use the airport has a month-to-month=0Aarrangement with its tenants for ter= minal and office space. Flights are=0Agranted to airlines in perpetuity, bu= t there is no requirement that=0Athey provide service for a specific time p= eriod, Diggs-Jackson said.=0A=0AAirport=0Aofficials said plans to replace t= he existing temporary gates were being=0Areevaluated by the city and airpor= t tenants because of the economic=0Achallenges faced by the airline industr= y. Plans include construction of=0Anew waiting areas and gates as well as m= ore concessions. A new parking=0Astructure is on schedule, but the project = will likely be scaled back,=0ADiggs-Jackson said.=0A=0AJetBlue and the airp= ort have also been at=0Aodds over the use of commuter airline slots. Last y= ear, JetBlue raised=0Athe possibility of using its Embraer 190 for some of = the 25 commuter=0Aairline slots available at the airport. The twin-engine j= et can hold 90=0Apassengers.=0A=0ABut although the Embraer aircraft is quie= ter than=0Asome commuter jets, Diggs-Jackson said the city's noise ordinanc= e=0Aprohibits the use of the plane for commuter flights because it is too= =0Aheavy. She said JetBlue had made no formal request for the commuter=0Asl= ots.=0A=0Apeter.pae@xxxxxxxxxxx=0A=0Adan.weikel@latimes.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".