JetBlue Airways Brings Its "Inspiring Humanity" Mission to Life With a Humanitarian Effort to Haiti

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - April 18, 2014) - JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) brought its "Inspiring Humanity" mission to life on April 16 and 17 with a crewmember-led humanitarian effort to Haiti.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, became JetBlue's 82^nd BlueCity in December 2013. Before launch it was decided the airline would carry out a humanitarian delivery flight in partnership with the Airbus Corporate Foundation to bring aid to the country, including life-saving anti-cholera medication, blankets and clothing for nearly 6,000 children, hundreds of pair of shoes, thousands of books to help improve literacy, laptops, toiletries and more. Additionally, the JetBlue contingent also made the first dig for a modernized fresh water well in what will become a new village for Haitians still displaced following the 2010 earthquake. Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and continues to be deeply affected by the earthquake. The cholera outbreak following the earthquake is the worst epidemic of this disease in recent times, having caused more than 9,000 deaths and with 700,000 residents currently sick.

JetBlue provided several tons of resources to local schools and orphanages in and near Port-au-Prince. The group visited and delivered supplies to charities that have previously been supported by crewmembers, including Ecole Herve Romain, a school in Port-au-Prince's red zone run by charity organization Edeyo Foundation; Children of Hope, a children's home in Saintard, north of Port-au-Prince and Grace International, one of Haiti's largest non-profit organizations that runs numerous schools, displacement camps, girls and boys orphanages, a widows home and hospital. The airline provided donations, including more than 2,000 books, toiletries and laptops, which were handed out by a team of 15 front-line crewmembers. The crewmembers also broke ground on a new well for fresh drinking water for Grace International in Carrefour. This area is currently under development, building an entire new village that will house tens of thousands of people still displaced from the earthquake.

"I volunteered at Grace International and visited its Lambi Village refugee camp several times on service missions. JetBlue heard of my experiences and decided to partner with the agency to provide relief to residents still impacted by the earthquake. It was so heartwarming to see our crewmembers break ground on the site where a water well will be built. This well will provide fresh water not only to the future residents of the village, but also the local community impacting thousands of Haitians," said LaToya Ingram, manager of talent management, JetBlue Airways.