Plans For The Lodge Had Been Put On Hold In 2008

JetBlue pilot and other trainees in Orlando may have their own place to call home ... at least during their training. The airline has restarted construction on a 196-room lodge for employees attending JetBlue University near Orlando International Airport.

The airline opened the training facility in 2005, and initially broke ground on the hotel in 2006, according to news releases at the time. But as fuel prices climbed and airline losses mounted, construction on the lodge did not get very far before it was suspended.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the lodge was originally intended to have as many as 300 rooms, but that has been pared down given the current state of the airline industry. It also allows for a larger kitchen and more "collaborative space," according to a JetBlue spokesman.

JetBlue CEO Dave Barger told the paper that the lodge will build camaraderie among new employees, allowing them to interact with each other at meal times and in common areas. The lodge will be within walking distance of the educational facility. "Culture is just so important," Barger told the Sentinel. "Today, you lose everybody to the local hotels."

No date was given for completion of the hotel. JetBlue also said it plans to open a reservations center at the university which could eventually employ as many as 500 people at $9 to $14 per hour.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.jetblue.com