Here is my big announcement JetBlue!

JetBlue eyes 150 daily flights at Logan, expansion to Worcester, Providence


Boston Business Journal by Eric Convey

Date: Thursday, September 22, 2011, 2:28pm EDT - Last Modified: Thursday, September 22, 2011, 3:01pm EDT

JetBlue Airways Corp. (Nasdaq: JBLU) executives would like to increase flights to or from Logan International Airport to 150 per day from the current 100 and are "really optimistic" the airline will be given all of Terminal C to accommodate expansion, CEO David Barger said Thursday.

The decision rests with Massport, the agency that runs Logan.

"What's really important is the ability to have continuous gates," Barger said. Declining to give a specific timeline, he said the airline would like a decision "sooner rather than later." Changes could be made after the busy holiday travel season, he said.

Barger also suggested JetBlue is eager to add service to T.F. Green airport outside Providence, R.I. "We're really impressed with what we see with the infrastructure with Providence," he said.

And JetBlue will consider adding service to Worcester following a request from Massport officials, he said.

"Massport has put Worcester on our radar screens," he said, adding: "It's something that we certainly would entertain."

Barger made his remarks to the Boston College Chief Executives Club of Boston.

Asked after his address whether the Obama administration's focus on high-speed rail would hurt JetBlue, Barger said better rail service between cities like Boston and New York, both of which are important to the airline, actually would be beneficial.

The airspace around New York is full, Barger said, with too much of it "wasted" on planes carrying only a few dozen passengers. "I think high-speed rail would be very, very helpful."

Barger also repeated a call he has made before for modernization of the nation's air traffic control system.