JetBlue Airways Wants to Serve La Guardia

JetBlue Airways, the low-fare carrier that has become the largest airline serving Kennedy International Airport, asked the federal government yesterday for permission to begin flying from La Guardia Airport as well.

The move is the latest step in an aggressive expansion drive by the four-year-old airline, which is based in Queens. Earlier this month, it began service from Boston, and it has ordered dozens of new aircraft that it will begin putting into service this year.

If the Transportation Department approves its request, JetBlue plans to begin flights from La Guardia this spring, said a spokesman, Gareth Edmondson-Jones. A spokeswoman for the department said it had not yet reviewed the application.

JetBlue asked the government for 10 takeoff and landing slots at La Guardia, which would allow it to schedule five flights a day. It plans to operate from two gates, Mr. Edmondson-Jones said.

JetBlue has 83 flights a day from J.F.K., flying to 19 cities, out of its 222 daily flights to 22 destinations in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Last month, JetBlue passed American Airlines to become the leading airline at J.F.K. in terms of passengers carried. Mr. Edmondson-Jones declined to say which cities JetBlue would serve from La Guardia.

In a statement, the airline's chief executive, David Neeleman, said that JetBlue did not plan to cut back on service to J.F.K., where the airline is constructing a new terminal and a new hangar. However, Mr. Neeleman said that some passengers prefer to fly into and out of La Guardia, which is closer to Manhattan and easier to reach from many areas than J.F.K. is.

''It does give our passengers another option when they choose to fly JetBlue,'' Mr. Neeleman said in the statement.

La Guardia gained a reputation during the late 1990's as a crowded airport beset by delays. But passenger levels have fallen since the economic downturn and the Sept. 11 attacks, leaving room to expand service.

In the 12 months ended in November, La Guardia handled 22.4 million passengers, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. That is down more than 11 percent from the 25.3 million people La Guardia handled in 2000.

The move by JetBlue comes as US Airways is seeking to sell several of its assets to raise cash. Those assets include its East Coast shuttle; gates at La Guardia and in Boston; and one of its hubs, in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Charlotte.

JetBlue is thought to be among the airlines that have requested information from US Airways, according to people briefed on the discussions. Mr. Edmondson-Jones would not comment. But he said there was no need to buy US Airways' gates at La Guardia to begin service because takeoff and landing slots are available.

''Obviously, we need confirmation back'' from the government before putting the plan into action, Mr. Edmondson-Jones said. He added that the airline would be able to start service in two to three months once it decided to add an airport to its roster.

Despite its dominance at J.F.K., JetBlue lags behind another low-fare carrier, Delta Air Lines' Song, which offers service from all three New York-area airports. But JetBlue is quickly expanding, with plans to add both cities and aircraft. On March 3, it plans to begin service from New York to Sacramento.