JetBlue to connect ABQ, NYC

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - JetBlue will be moving into the Albuquerque Sunport in the spring offering a daily nonstop hop to and from New York City.

The JetBlue red-eye starts on April 22 and will be the state's only nonstop flight to the Big Apple.

Mayor Richard J. Berry made the announcement during Wednesday's annual State of the City Address.

"Having a connection directly from Albuquerque to New York City does several things for us," Berry told the packed hall. "It helps us with our business development plan, helps us with convention development plans, helps with tourism."

The city offered JetBlue incentives such as waiving some fees at the airport to get more direct flights from Albuquerque.

The airport is still hoping other airlines will take up their offer.

The JetBlueflight will take off from the Sunport just before midnight and land at New York's JFK International Airport just before 6 a.m.

The price for a ticket hasn't been announced. A JetBlue flight from Denver to New York currently costs about $350 roundtrip.

JetBlue is known for every seat having a DIRECTV screen and for having more leg room.

From JFK flights connect to 27 other cities. including Boston, Buffalo and Aruba.

Berry also announced Schott Solar, which recently closed up shop at Mesa del Sol, will pay the city $5 million in clawbacks from its incentives.

The city had given Schott money and perks to start up business here.

The mayor said he wants a group of city leaders to look at the best ways to spend those millions on marketing, job creation and helping people get trained and back in the workforce.

In addition Berry offered a proposal to rework the city's ordinance on development impact fees.

The mayor says with the help of city councilors city residents and business owners will pay the same impact fees regardless of where they reside or do business.